Medieval · Art Institute of Chicago · 32532
Camel and Rider
China, Tang dynasty (618–907), first half of 8th century
Art Institute of Chicago · Gift of Bertha Palmer Thorne · Public domain
- Artist
- China
- Date
- Tang dynasty (618–907), first half of 8th century
- Medium
- Earthenware with three-color (sancai) lead glazes
- Dimensions
- 86.3 × 66 × 25.5 cm (34 × 26 × 10 in.)
- Era
- Medieval
Why it matters
Sculptors of tomb figures keenly observed and then skillfully rendered in clay the caravans of Bactrian camels. These animals were led by grooms who hailed from the Taklamakan Desert located in China’s northwestern border regions. In Tang-dynasty China, camels were novelties, considered auspicious because their packs carried valuable goods from the West.