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SUI TERRACOTTA (Dutta-10326)
Sui pair of terracotta military officers.
Sui Dynasty 581-618 AD
Size : 36cm
Thermoluminescence Test on the 25.03.2014 ref n. QED1412/SC-0301 for both figures.
Sui Dynasty innovations ushered in the great flowering of tomb object, mingqi, production that lasted into the Tang Dynasty. With the reunification of the Chinese proper, Sui artisans were faced with an increased demand for elaborate pieces to furnish the interior compounds of a burial lay-out that began to look more like a landscape of surface society rather than a recreation of daily life which characterized the tombs of earlier periods.
Though guardian figurines became the hot product of the day, military figurines persisted to play an important role in the burial procession. These two figurines represent Sui military men, posed in a familiar stance with one arm cocked forward and the other drawn to the side grasping a weapon that no longer exists. Based on the sort of techniques and production methods available at the time, it is assumed that bright colors were applied onto a base of white-bodied ware. Some painted work can be seen that appear to be red decorative pads. The soldiers are protected head to toe in armor consisting of pectoral plates, a headdress, and a shoulder cape. Their facial features are sculpted to the finest detail–their curved eyebrows and grimacing mouth express the tension of men ready to risk their life in battle.
In a realistic representation, these two military figurines exemplify the transformation of tomb objects, reflecting the strength, vigor, and wealth of the unified Sui Empire. Tomb figurines once again claim their superior position among Chinese classical sculptural forms.
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