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Chinese

Musician, ca. 650–700 CE

Now On View

Description

Maker

  • Unknown

Culture

Chinese

Title

Musician

Year

ca. 650–700 CE

Medium

Clay with pigment

Materials/Techniques

Materials

  • clay,
  • pigment

Dimensions

15 x 12 x 8.5 cm (5 7/8 x 4 3/4 x 3 3/8 inches)

Type

  • Ceramics

Credit

Gift of Houghton P. Metcalf

Object Number

25.014

Exhibition History

Exhibition History

Asian Art Galleries

Chinese Buddhists believed that if the souls of the deceased weren't given a proper resting place, they would become discontent and cause trouble in the earthly realm. Donors, artisans, and buildres worked in unison to construct burial-mound chambers filled with the comforts and remembrances of life. Chambers for people of higher status were decorated with murals, reliefs, architectural models, vessels, and figures. Musicians played an important role in Chinese court life, performing for ceremonies and rituals, and groups of figures playing instruments were often included in burials, as were horse figures. Horses were prized possessions of the elite, and polo was a popular pastime, especially during the Tang Dynasty.

Rockefeller Asian Art Gallery

Use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use. This object is in the public domain (CC0 1.0). This object is Musician with the accession number of 25.014. To request high-resolution files or new photography, please send an email to imagerequest@risd.edu and include your name and the object's accession number.

Feedback

We view our online collection as a living documents, and our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you have additional information or have spotted an error, please send feedback to curatorial@risd.edu.

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