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The T’ang Dynasty was an era of unrivalled
wealth and luxury. The country was
successfully
reunified and the borders were expanded,
pushing Chinese influence into new lands.
Confucianism became a semi-religious
instrument of the state; yet Buddhism
continued
to flourish, spreading into Korea and Japan.
The
arts reached new levels of sophistication.
Poetry
and literature flourished under the
enlightened
rulers. The Silk Road brought fortunes into
China.
Precious treasures were imported on the
backs of
camels from far away lands and bartered for
Chinese silk, medicinal herbs, and pungent
spices. T’ang China was a multicultural
empire
where foreign merchants from across Central
Asia and the Middle East settled in the urban
centers, foremost among them the thriving
capital of Chang’an (modern X’ian), a
bustling
cosmopolitan center of over two million
inhabitants. Foreign traders lived next to
native
artisans and both thrived. New ideas and
exotic
artistic forms followed alongside. The T’ang
Dynasty was a cultural renaissance where
many
of the forms and objects we now associate
with
China were first created. Moreover, this
period
represents one of the greatest cultural
outpourings in human history.
For the Chinese, camels symbolized
commerce
and its associated wealth, largely
concentrated
on profits through trading on the Silk Road.
Trade across this extensive network of paths
and
trails brought prosperity, foreign merchants,
and
exotic merchandize into China. However, the
dusty trails of the Silk Road were an arduous
journey through the rugged mountains and
harsh deserts of Central Asia that could only
be
traversed by the two humped Bactrian
camel.
This remarkable beast was able to withstand
the
scorching heat of the desert and maintain its
own nutrients, surviving for months without
fresh supplies of water. The government kept
vast herds of these invaluable creatures,
presided
over by civil officials, for hauling their
precious
commodities across the Silk Road. These
exotic
creatures were a common sight in the
cosmopolitan cities of T’ang China, carrying
both
traders and their goods directly into the
markets.
Likewise, T’ang artist began to create
charming
representations of these prized creatures as
mingqi in order to symbolize wealth and
prosperity in the afterlife.
Mingqi were works of art specifically created
in
an ancient Chinese custom for interment in
the
tombs of elite individuals in order to provide
for
their afterlife. Some of the most beautiful
works
of Chinese art were excavated from such
tombs,
and this sculpture of a camel and an
accompanying groom is a perfect example
of the
refined artistry dedicated to such works
despite
the fact that they were never meant to be
seen
by the living. Thick tufts of furry hair cover
the
camel along his head, neck, humps and
knees. A
saddle bulging with exotic goods and
merchandize, including an easily discernable
rolled blanket, has been placed between the
two
humps. The facial features of this creature
have
been rendered with extreme attention to
detail,
including the beady eyes. The camel is in
the
process of kneeling down (or perhaps
standing
up) in order to unload the merchandize
carried
on his back. This sculpture reveals the T’ang
Dynasty’s respect and admiration for this
beast
of burden, so essential to the prosperity of
ancient China.
- (X.0411)
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