Sui Dynasty Pottery Tomb Figure

Sui Dynasty, c. 581–618 AD, China

A magnificent and rare mold-made pottery figure of a male attendant, standing in reverence with hands clasped across his chest. He wears a distinctive protective head covering draped over his shoulders, along with a belted tunic and long trousers reaching his feet.

The Sui Dynasty (581–618 AD) played a pivotal role in shaping imperial China, unifying the Northern and Southern dynasties while reinstating Han Chinese rule. Though short-lived, the Sui laid the foundations for the cultural and political golden age of the Tang Dynasty. Tomb figures like this were created as funerary objects, based on the belief that they would serve the deceased in the afterlife. Crafted from molded white earthenware, these figures were often painted or glazed, though much of the color has faded over time.

Despite the Sui Dynasty's brevity, its artistic legacy is evident in its refined funerary sculpture, characterized by slender, unembellished forms with a soft yellowish crème glaze—a precursor to the more elaborate Tang Dynasty sancai-glazed ware. Retaining traces of its original earthen patina, this exceptional Sui tomb attendant is a testament to the era’s artistic achievements.

Good condition. Wear commensurate with age and use. Chip. Mineral encrustation, stains and rich earthen deposits. Size approx. 18,9cm x 5,8cm x 5,3cm.

Provenance: Swedish private collection

References and further reading:

The Matter of Tang Tomb Figures; A New Perspective on a Group of Terracotta Animals and Riders, Lucien Van Valen & Isabelle Garachon, The Rijksmuseum Bulletin, Volume 62. pp. 218-239, 2014.

Dream of Ideal Life in Ancient China: Ceramic Miniatures of Architectures, Household Goods, People and Animals, Aichi.ken Toji Shiryokan, Seto, 2005, no. 14, p. 34.

Antecedents of Sui-Tang Burial Practices in Shaanxi, Mary Fong, Artibus Asiae 51, no:s. 3–4 (1991), pp. 147–98.

Mingqi - Items for the next world, Jan-Erik Nilsson, Gotheborg.com (https://gotheborg.com/glossary/mingqi.shtml)

Immortality of the Spirit: Chinese Funerary Art from the Han and Tang Dynasties Exhibition Catalogue, Jill J. Deupi, Ive Covaci & Leopold Swergold, Immortality of the Spirit - Ephemera. 1, Fairfield University, 2012. (https://digitalcommons.fairfield.edu/immortality_ephemera/1)

The Vibrant Role of Mingqi in Early Chinese Burials, Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History, Heather Colburn Clydesdale, Independent Scholar, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, April 2009. (www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/mgqi/hd_mgqi.htm)