Tomb guardian creature [pair with S1997.24]

Object Details

• Description

  Large, ceramic figure of a stylized demon/animal, perched on top of a high pedestal. Animal-like body rests on its back haunches, with straigh front legs freestanding. Lion-like head has four horns which rise up and out from the top. The head is surrounded by a mane of flame-like spikes. Large wings flare up and out from the upper body. Almost all of the figure is covered with polychrome glazes, typical of the Tang dynasty, yellow, green, brown, and white.

• Label

  1. (Lawton, Thomas, 1987): "These [with MLS1769] fantastic, winged creatures, which constitute a pair, are representative of those guardian figures found in archaeological excavations. Usually these figures are unearthed near the entrance of the tomb chamber, where they are arranged together with a pair of pottery warrior figures. Characteristically, one of the pair of winged creatures is human-faced. In spite of those essentially human features, the trunk-like nose and large, flaring ears obviously were based on an elephant, reflecting the hybrid origins of these guardians. The second figure is dominated by a ferocious dragon head. Elongated ears, mane and tufts of twisted hair echo the stylized wing feathers, lending an even more imposing aspect to the figures. The bodies of the guardian figures, including their cloven hooves and extended claws, are rendered with remarkable simplicity. It is clear that the Chinese artist intended to emphasize the details on the upper portions of the compositions. Even the raised, concave bases on which the creatures are seated in an attitude of tense anticipation, are summarily rendered.

  Rich colored glazes splashed irregularly onto the pottery surfaces further enrich the formidable appearance of these tomb guardians. Dappled patterns ornament the chest and wings of the human-faced figure, as well as the wings of the dragon. Those patterns probably were achieved by the use of a resist technique.

  2. (Bruce Young, 15 November 1996) The Estate of Arthur M. Sackler has concluded that this object does not belong to the Estate, but rather is the property of Else Sackler. The Source and Credit Line have been ammended accordingly.

  3. (Bruce Young, 29 January 1997) Interest in this object has been transferred by Else Sackler to the Arthur M. Sackler Foundation. The Source and Credit Line have been ammended accordingly.

  3. (Louise Cort, 3 April 1997) Since such figures began to be acquired by North American museums in the 1920's (e.g. Royal Ontario Museum), they have become a sine qua non for serious public collections of East Asian art. Visitors expect to see them. It will be useful to have these pieces in the Sackler Gallery permanent collection, and they are especially appropriate as gifts honoring the gallery's tenth anniversary.

  Both figures belong to the category of tomb figure identified as "gitou," sometimes translate aptly as chimera ("imaginary monster compounded of incongruous parts," Webster's Ninth). Both are seated on rocky "cliffs." No. 1769 [S1997.24] is a four-legged beast with cloven hooves. It has a somewhat human face with bulging eyes, crocodile snout, moustache and goatee, open mouth with flat herbivore teeth, flaring oversized elephant-like ears, and a single horn backed by upright twists of hair. No. 1770 [S1997.25] is a four-legged creature with lion-like clawed feet, glaring lion-like face, two sets of horns, and mane radiating in flame-like tendrils. Both sprout flame-like projections from their shoulders. They are formed from light-gray earthenware clay and glazed in white, golden-brown, and green lead glazes distributed more or less symmetrically in stripes or spots. Examination of other pairs (see below) indicates that the application of glaze colors followed established conventions.

  The figures constitute a pair that would have been placed to left and right of the tomb entrance to ward off evil spirits. Another pair of such figures were excavated from Guanlin Tomb 59 in Luoyang, Henan province (Kaogu 1972-3; in Tojio taikei 35, fold-out), as was one from a tomb in Xian (ibid., p. 88). The Guanlin figures, together with other figures from that tomb, are illustrated in color in Dai sansai ten, catalogue of a 1989 traveling exhibition in Japan, nos. 14-15. Compare with those pieces, the Sackler pair appear well endowed with dramatically projecting should-flames and flame-like hair, and the glaze colors are brighter and more lustrous.

• Provenance

  To 1965

  J. T. Tai & Co., New York, NY [1]

  From 1965 to 1987

  Dr. Arthur M. Sackler (1913-1987), New York, New York, purchased from J. T. Tai & Co., New York, NY [2]

  From 1987 to 1996

  Estate of Arthur M. Sackler [3]

  From 1996 to 1997

  Else Jorgensen Sackler (1913-2000), by inheritance from the Estate of Arthur M. Sackler[4]

  1997

  The Arthur M. Sackler Foundation, New York, NY, gift of Else Jorgensen Sackler [5]

  From 1997

  Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, gift of the Arthur M. Sackler Foundation, New York, NY [6]

  Notes:

  [1] See Provenance record from the Arthur M. Sackler Foundation faxed on March 31, 1997, copy in object file. J.T. Dealer No. YT-4861.

  [2] See object file.

  [3] See note 3.

  [4] Else Sackler received the object from the Estate of Arthur M. Sackler in 1996. See Provenance record from the Arthur M. Sackler Foundation faxed on March 31, 1997, copy in object file.

  [5] The object was gifted to the Arthur M. Sackler Foundation by Else Sackler in 1997. See Provenance record from the Arthur M. Sackler Foundation faxed on March 31, 1997, copy in object file. See also Curatorial Remark 3 in the object record with notes from Bruce Young dated Jan 29, 1997.

  [6] See Acquisition Consideration Form, copy in object file.

• Collection

  Arthur M. Sackler Collection

• Exhibition History

  The Arts of China (November 18, 1990 to September 7, 2014)

  Monsters, Myths and Minerals (September 28, 1987 to November 26, 1995)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Mrs. Else Sackler (1913-2000)

  The Arthur M. Sackler Collections Trust

  Dr. Arthur M. Sackler (1913-1987)

  J. T. Tai & Co. (established in 1950)

  Arthur M. Sackler Foundation (founded 1965)

• Origin

  Henan or Shaanxi province, China

• Credit Line

  Gift of The Arthur M. Sackler Foundation

• Type

  Sculpture

• Restrictions and Rights

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