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1. A group of six soldiers China Northern Zhou Dynasty (557 – 581) High fired celadon glazed pottery H: 24.5 cm (9.64 inches) |
The soldiers carry spears, lances and shields; they carry leather bags and water bottles attached to their clothes. Their facial features are clearly non-chinese most probably Xianbei (turko-mongolian). It is an historical fact that in the Northern Zhou period the army was made by Xianbei soldiers. Foreigners have been often represented in Chinese burial sculpture, a pair of Sui pottery figures with similar features from the collection of Mr and Mrs James E. Breece III were sold at Christies’ in 2003 (NY 09/2003). An exhibition of “Foreigners in Ancient Chinese Art from Private and Museum collections” was organized by the China House Gallery in 1969 by E. Schloss. Ref: “The E. Schloss Collection of Chinese Pottery Figurines” New York, 1963 illustrating terracotta figurines of Persians, Indians, Mongols, Turkish peoples, Semitic types, etc., from the Han and Tang. |