In many ancient Chinese tombs, pottery, clay and wooden figures accompany
the dead.
In Chinese Slavery Society about 4000 to 2500 years ago, living people were
buried with the dead as sacrifices. As time went on, however, artificial
tomb figures instead were produced and used to lie with the dead. According
to Confucius, filial piety was a basic moral principle, and spiritual and
material sacrifices to dead relatives or friends were traditional Chinese
rituals.
Tomb burial began to become popular in the Eastern Zhou Dynasty
(770-221B.C.) and was most prevalent from the Qin to the Tang dynasties.
Tomb figures were made in imitation of various real life people, Such as
slaves, dancers, soldiers and so on. Beside these human figures were placed
horses, vehicles, cooking utensils and livestock figures. The Terracotta
Warriors in Emperor Qinshihuang's mausoleum represent the first development
peak of Chinese tomb figure creation. The later Han Dynasty tomb figures do
not appear in Such large numbers or on Such a grand scale; they are, however.
scattered throughout more regions, made of a greater variety of materials
and convey more ideas.
The Qin Dynasty tomb figures are rigid with no big variation in style. The
Han Dynasty tomb figures, by contrast, are lively, vivid and display greater
diversity. There are male and female figures, sitting, standing, singing and
dancing. They even include figures of cooks, storytellers and children. They
wear all kinds of clothes and all manner of expressions. Tomb figures in
different regions have different characteristics. The female tomb figures in
central China appear quiet, elegant and refined, and reveal their position
in the master and servant relationship by their different expressions. Tomb
figures in Sichuan Province are cryptic but convey an impression of varied
and active movement and a strong sense of humor. The singing and dancing
figures unearthed from this region are very small but have attractive
gestures and animated expressions. They are the cream of ancient sculptures.
The horse and chariot tomb figures' of the mid and late Han Dynasty, such as
the wooden horses and chariots unearthed at Weiwu, Gansu Province, appear
simple and strong. They attest to the tomb owner's nostalgia for his past
military life and show off his luxurious lifestyle.
In the Wei, Jin, the Northern and Southern dynasties, soldier warriors with
armor and helmets appeared. They are riding on horses and have flags or
weapons in their hands. In Yuan Shao's Tomb of the Northern Wei Dynasty,
there are two figures of ethnic Hu people. One is an old man with a long
nose, deep eyes and long beard; the other one is a child squatting on the
ground, sleeping, with his head resting on his knees. His hair is loose and
Curled and his clothes very simple. As Buddhist art spread into China in the
Wei and Jin dynasties, several ethnic and foreign craft techniques were
introduced to the Han people, and blue and white porcelain tomb figures were
added to the pottery figures.
Tomb figures reflect the social life of an historical period. In the Tang
Dynasty, the three-color tomb figures began to be made, ushering in a
glorious stage of development for Chinese sculpture. The number of women
figure sin creased; they appeared as domestic servants, singers and dancers.
The tomb figure s' appearance reveals the aesthetics of the Tang people. The
women have rounded faces, graceful eyebrows, big eyes and tiny mouths, and
they wear hair ornaments of gold flowers and coils of different styles. They
have full figures and wear tight shirts that leave their chests uncovered,
scarves on their shoulders and long skirts that touch the ground. Their
expressions are dignified, and they look at ease and comfortable. Most
noticeable of the Tang tomb figures are the very graceful singing and
dancing figures. Looking at them, we can imagine the magnificent singing and
dancing scenes at the Tang imperial court at the height of its prosperity.
Tomb figure making reached its highest development peak in the Tang Dynasty.
From the Song Dynasty, the Custom of burying tomb figures gradually
disappeared. |