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A type of work known as mingqi, literally
translated as, “items for the next world,”
this
sculpture was specifically commissioned
by the
family of the deceased to be buried
alongside
their departed relative, both as a symbol of
their
wealth and familial piety. However, only
elite
members of the social hierarchy could
afford to
be honored with such elaborate burials.
During
the Han era, the ancient Chinese believed
that
the afterlife was an extension of our earthly
existence. Thus, the tombs of nobles and
high-
ranking officials were filled with sculpted
renditions of their earthly entourage.
Musicians,
chefs, attendants, and guardians were
placed
alongside pots, vessels, cooking utensils,
and
herds of livestock. All these mingqi were
expected to perform their functions
continually
throughout the afterlife.
The smile that graces the face of this
wonderful
musician is typical of the happy
entertainers
from the Sichuan Province. Dressed in a
long
robe and a short cap, he kneels with his
hands
lightly placed around the instrument. The
artist,
perhaps because he was portraying
someone it
was not appropriate to idealize or deify,
captured
the intimacy, vibrancy, and intensity of an
actual
man. Locked in this bit of clay, a smile, a
laugh,
and a will to entertain are still apparent to a
modern audience centuries after its
creation.
- (DL.1005)
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