“The camel is an unusual domestic animal; it
carries a saddle of flesh on its back; swiftly it
dashes over the shifting sands; it manifests its
merit in dangerous places; it has a secret
understanding of springs and sources, subtle
indeed is its knowledge.”
This quote by Guo Pu dates to the 3rd Century
A.D. and reveals the extent to which the Chinese
adulated camels. These creatures symbolized the
wealth and luxury that resulted from trading on
the Silk Road. Commerce 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 Tang China, carrying
both traders and their goods directly into the
markets. Likewise, Tang artists began to create
charming representations of these prized
creatures as mingqi in order to symbolize
continued wealth and prosperity throughout the
afterlife.
This seated camel with a detachable rider is a
particularly fine example of this genre. The
animal raises its head in protest as the rider
commands it to continue on its arduous journey.
The rider would have once held a whip or similar
item, probably fashioned from a more perishable
material which explains its disappearance. The
original polychromy remains largely intact and is
especially apparent on the rider’s flushed cheeks.
Great care has been lavished on the details of his
costume, particularly the peaked cap, and the
hairs of his full beard are precisely defined with
incised lines. This sculpture reveals the Tang
Dynasty’s respect and admiration for this beast
of burden, so essential to the prosperity of
ancient China.
