{"title":"Early Pottery \u0026 Tomb Figures","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFor more than four thousand years, Chinese potters made vessels and figures not only for the living but for the dead.\u003c\/strong\u003e This collection covers the earliest periods of Chinese ceramics, from the painted jars of the Neolithic Majiayao culture to the green-glazed tomb models of the Han dynasty, the figures of the Northern dynasties and the three-colour (\u003cem\u003esancai\u003c\/em\u003e) horses, camels and court ladies of the Tang. Most of these objects are \u003cem\u003emingqi\u003c\/em\u003e (明器), or \"spirit goods\": things made to furnish a tomb and serve the dead in the afterlife.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c!--rtc-guide--\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"rtc-guide-main\"\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eHow to look at early Chinese pottery and tomb figures\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThe body\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlmost everything here is earthenware: clay fired at a relatively low temperature, so it stays porous and soft enough to scratch. Look at an unglazed area such as the base. Neolithic and Han bodies are often red, buff or grey; Tang figures usually have a fine white or pinkish-buff body. A body that is too clean, too uniform or too heavy for its size deserves a second look.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003ePainted and glazed surfaces\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNeolithic jars were painted with mineral pigments before firing. Han potters used a green lead glaze that, after centuries underground, often turns a silvery iridescent colour. Many figures of the Northern dynasties and the Tang were covered in white slip and painted with unfired pigments after firing. These colours flake easily, so surviving pigment is precious. Tang \u003cem\u003esancai\u003c\/em\u003e glazes run and pool in amber, green and cream. On human figures the faces and hands were often left unglazed and painted instead.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eSigns of burial\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGenuine tomb pottery spent many centuries underground. Look for soil deposits in recesses, root marks, and wear consistent with age. Burial deposits can be faked, though, so treat them as one clue among several and never as proof.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eRestoration\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTomb figures were often broken in the tomb and are commonly repaired. Legs, heads and ears are the usual places. Restoration is normal and acceptable when it is disclosed; ask for a condition report and, for important pieces, an ultraviolet examination.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eScientific testing\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThermoluminescence (TL) testing estimates when a piece of earthenware was last fired. It is widely used for tomb pottery and adds real confidence, but a test applies only to the spot sampled, so it should be read alongside the object itself.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\u003caside class=\"rtc-aside\"\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWhat we look for\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLively, well-modelled figures with a strong sense of movement and character\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOriginal pigments or glazes in good condition\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHonest, disclosed restoration\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA body and surface consistent with age and burial\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDocumented provenance, especially for material from before the end of the Tang dynasty\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003c\/aside\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"rtc-faq\" itemscope itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/FAQPage\"\u003e\n\u003ch2 class=\"rtc-h2\"\u003eFrequently asked questions\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cdetails itemscope itemprop=\"mainEntity\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Question\"\u003e\u003csummary itemprop=\"name\"\u003eWhat is mingqi?\u003c\/summary\u003e\u003cdiv itemscope itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\"\u003e\u003cp itemprop=\"text\"\u003eMingqi, often translated as \"spirit goods\", are objects made to be buried with the dead. They include figures of attendants, guardians, musicians, horses and camels, as well as models of houses, granaries, wells and farm animals, all intended to provide for the deceased in the afterlife.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003c\/details\u003e\u003cdetails itemscope itemprop=\"mainEntity\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Question\"\u003e\u003csummary itemprop=\"name\"\u003eWhat is sancai?\u003c\/summary\u003e\u003cdiv itemscope itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\"\u003e\u003cp itemprop=\"text\"\u003eSancai means \"three colours\". It is a lead glaze, usually amber, green and cream, used above all on Tang dynasty tomb figures and vessels in the late 7th and first half of the 8th century. The glazes were allowed to run and blend, giving each piece its own pattern.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003c\/details\u003e\u003cdetails itemscope itemprop=\"mainEntity\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Question\"\u003e\u003csummary itemprop=\"name\"\u003eCan early Chinese archaeological material be bought and sold legally in the United States?\u003c\/summary\u003e\u003cdiv itemscope itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\"\u003e\u003cp itemprop=\"text\"\u003eYes, with care. Since 2009 the United States has restricted the import of Chinese archaeological material from the Paleolithic period through the end of the Tang dynasty, under an agreement with China that has been extended to January 2029. Pieces that were already outside China before the restrictions, or that were legally exported, can be traded. That is why documented provenance matters so much for this material.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003c\/details\u003e\u003cdetails itemscope itemprop=\"mainEntity\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Question\"\u003e\u003csummary itemprop=\"name\"\u003eShould a tomb figure have a thermoluminescence test?\u003c\/summary\u003e\u003cdiv itemscope itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\"\u003e\u003cp itemprop=\"text\"\u003eFor significant pieces, a TL test from a recognised laboratory is strongly recommended. It estimates when the clay was last fired and helps confirm that a figure is ancient, but it should always be read together with an examination of the object itself.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003c\/details\u003e\u003cdetails itemscope itemprop=\"mainEntity\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Question\"\u003e\u003csummary itemprop=\"name\"\u003eHow should I display and care for tomb pottery?\u003c\/summary\u003e\u003cdiv itemscope itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\"\u003e\u003cp itemprop=\"text\"\u003eKeep it away from damp, direct sun and sudden changes of temperature. Never wash it: water can lift unfired pigments and loosen old repairs. Dust very gently with a soft brush and display figures on a stable surface or in a case.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003c\/details\u003e\u003cdetails itemscope itemprop=\"mainEntity\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Question\"\u003e\u003csummary itemprop=\"name\"\u003eCan you help me find a particular piece?\u003c\/summary\u003e\u003cdiv itemscope itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\"\u003e\u003cp itemprop=\"text\"\u003eYes. Call us on +1 781-631-5555 and tell us the period, type or subject you are looking for.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003c\/details\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","products":[],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0045\/4967\/3009\/collections\/met-49381-tang-set-of-twelve-zodiac-animals.jpg?v=1793377179","url":"https:\/\/www.roomtonic.com\/collections\/early-pottery-tomb-figures.oembed","provider":"Room Tonic","version":"1.0","type":"link"}