Camel

between 618 and 907

On View

Chinese Art, Level 1, North Wing

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Catalogue Raisonné

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Audio Transcript

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About the Artwork

This camel stands firm with its powerful neck arched back and its mouth open in a loud bray. Camels are not native to China, but during the Tang dynasty (618–907), when this figure was made, they were a popular subject for ceramic sculptures like this one. It was a period of great international exchange, when camels from Central Asia transported items into China for trade.

In ancient China, ceramic figurines like this camel were buried in the tombs of wealthy people. Called “mingqi” — a word that roughly translates to “spirit utensil” — they were believed to contain the essence of the person or thing they represented, providing the deceased with everything they might need in the afterlife. An aristocrat who consumed foreign goods might choose to be buried with an object like this one to express their sophisticated and worldly lifestyle.

Title Camel

Artwork Date between 618 and 907

Artist ----------

Life Dates ----------

Nationality Please note: Definitions for nationality may vary significantly, depending on chronology and world events. Some definitions include: Belonging to a people having a common origin based on a geography and/or descent and/or tradition and/or culture and/or religion and/or language, or sharing membership in a legally defined nation. Chinese

Culture Please note: Cultures may be defined by the language, customs, religious beliefs, social norms, and material traits of a group. ----------

Medium Earthenware with three-color glaze

Dimensions Overall: 22 × 6 1/8 × 15 1/2 inches (55.9 × 15.6 × 39.4 cm)

Classification Sculpture

Department Asian Art

Credit Gift of C. T. Loo

Accession Number This unique number is assigned to an individual artwork as part of the cataloguing process at the time of entry into the permanent collection. Most frequently, accession numbers begin with the year in which the artwork entered the museum’s holdings. For example, 2008.3 refers to the year of acquisition and notes that it was the 3rd of that year. The DIA has a few additional systems—no longer assigned—that identify specific donors or museum patronage groups. 22.22

Markings

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Provenance

C. T. Loo;
1922-present, gift to the Detroit Institute of Arts (Detroit, Michigan, USA)

For more information on provenance, please visit:

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Exhibition History

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The exhibition history of a number of objects in our collection only begins after their acquisition by the museum, and may reflect an incomplete record.

We welcome your feedback for correction and/or improvement.

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