China
Camel and Rider
INV-3253
ChinaTang dynasty (618–907), first half of 8th century
Camel and Rider
China
Chinese (culture or style)earthenwareasian art
Date
Tang dynasty (618–907), first half of 8th century
Medium
Earthenware with three-color (sancai) lead glazes
Dimensions
86.3 × 66 × 25.5 cm (34 × 26 × 10 in.)
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Location
Chicago, IL
Credit
Gift of Bertha Palmer Thorne
Sculptors of tomb figures keenly observed and then skillfully rendered in clay the caravans of Bactrian camels. These animals were led by grooms who hailed from the Taklamakan Desert located in China’s northwestern border regions. In Tang-dynasty China, camels were novelties, considered auspicious because their packs carried valuable goods from the West.
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