Gardien de tombe

Entre 618 et 700
Terre cuite, Moulage, Polychromie
Statuette, Mingqi
Don manuel : Mahé, Lotus; Mahé, Yves

M.C. 2000-4

This impressive, angry-looking figure, with a particularly expressive face and spirited pose, once held a double-edged sword in his right hand. It is a rare type of model that is absent from most public collections.
It features remarkable elements in high relief, such as the horns on the shoulders and the bushy eyebrows. These details are not to be found on pieces from the two provinces at the heart of the empire, Shaanxi and Henan. The light beige colour of the clay suggests the work came from southern China.

Reference(s) : Eric Lefebvre, Art chinois,Musée Cernuschi, acquisitions 1993-2004, Paris Musées / Findakly, 2005, p. 100-101.
Gilles Béguin, Activités du musée Cernuschi, Arts asiatiques, 2001 , t.56, p.129-135.