Tri-colored Glazed Pottery Camel Carrying Performing and Dancing Figurines

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Tri-colored Glazed Pottery Camel Carrying Performing and Dancing Figurines is a masterpiece of tri-colored glazed pottery of the Tang Dynasty. The camel back is covered with a platform, on which seven figurines of male musicians with different facial expressions respectively hold sheng, xiao, pipa, konghou, flute, clappers, pan flfl ute and other musical instruments. These fifi gurines are absorbed in performance and completely immersed in the beautiful music. Between them there is a female fifi gurine with plump face. She sings and dances with the rhythm. These figurines are plump, delicate and refined, with brilliant glaze color and bright elegance, which prove the flfl ourish and prosperity of the Tang Dynasty.

The production of tri-colored glazed pottery of the Tang Dynasty

Tri-colored glazed pottery of the Tang Dynasty is low-temperature lead-glazed pottery. In the production, white clay is adopted as the bone. Substances containing copper, iron, manganese, cobalt and other minerals serve as glaze colorant. Lead is added into the glaze as a fluxing agent. Finally, the potteryware is fired under low temperature (about 800 degrees Celsius).

Tri-colored glazed pottery of the Tang Dynasty

As colored pottery craftworks of the Tang Dynasty, tri-colored glazed pottery of the Tang Dynasty was named after for the earliest usage of glaze color combination of red, green and yellow under kiln burning. More than 300 varieties of tri-colored glazed pottery of the Tang Dynasty have been found. Glaze colors also include blue, black and purple colors. Many of these artworks are funerary objects for aristocrats of the Tang Dynasty, including fifi gurines of fifi gures, fifi gurines of horses, cattle, camels, birds and other animals, as well as plates, bowls, pots and other daily necessities. These products are simple and elegant, with natural and smooth lines and crystal colors. They integrate painting, sculpture, carving and other arts in one, which magnififi cently show social life style of the Tang Dynasty. They are hailed as “Encyclopedia of the Tang Dynasty”.

The cultural exchange between China and foreign countries

The Tang Dynasty attached great importance to the exchanges between different ethnic groups. At that time, two routes led to the foreign countries. One was land route, i.e., the famous “Silk Road” in history. The other was sea route from Guangzhou, the South Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean in the west to eastern coast of Africa and the countries at south of the Mediterranean. In the East, the Tang Dynasty kept more frequent contacts with Korea and Japan. Imperial court also specially set up “Honglusi” for the reception of ambassadors and guests, and the people of the northern ethnic groups also served as offifi cials. Therefore, tri-colored glazed pottery of the Tang Dynasty shows many images of the people of the northern ethnic groups. By the end of the 8th century, Chinese ceramics started output. Since then, China is crowned as “Ceramics Country” in the world.