In the history of China, Tang Dynasty
is regarded as a golden age that
achieved political stability, economic
affluence, and cultural prosperity.
Unified a huge continent, Tang has
expanded its borders and absorbed
foreign cultures based on its identity
as a unified country established by
the Han and Sui Dynasty, completing a
refined and international culture, and
contributed to the formation of East
Asian cultures by spreading it to
neighboring countries such as the
Korean Peninsula and Japan. During the
Tang Dynasty, poetry and literature
were greatly developed by enlightened
rulers, and the artworks of the Tang
reached a new level of sophistication.
The Silk Road, which runs from Xi'an,
the capital of Tang, through the
Western Regions to Byzantium Empire,
established wealth through the
revitalization of trade, and
furthermore. It helped create new
ideas and exotic cultures through the
cultural interchange.
This Animal Tomb Guardian is a general
type of Chinese art known as mingqi.
Mingqi were any of a variety of
objects specifically created for
interment in the tombs of elite
individuals in order to provide for
the afterlife. Most tomb guardians
were not modeled after a real animal,
but rather an imaginary creature that
combined the characteristics of
various beasts to create fear through
fierce features. These were made in
order to ward off potential tomb
robbers or evil spirits that might try
to infiltrate the tomb. The animal
guardians as part of the retinue of
tomb figures began in the Northern Wei
dynasty (386-534) and continued into
the Tang dynasty. Generally, the tomb
guardians, produced during the Tang
Dynasty, kneels on their hind legs and
stands their front legs in a dignified
manner. This guardian stands alone,
revealing the exotic beauty of these
fantastical creatures. This
mythological beast expresses the
atmosphere that it can overpower any
opponent with its scary face,
grotesque big ears, and three soaring
horns. Especially, the angry look,
sharp horns, and emphasized claws are
suitable for performing the functions
of a protecting the tomb. Although
this work was supposed to frighten
away intruders, the masterfully
delicate sculpting proves far more
attractive than repelling. This statue
in the collection of the Barakat
Gallery is masterpieces of Tang
Dynasty, a period of economic
prosperity and cultural growth. - MK
- (PH.0288)
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