Flask with Figural Decoration, 550-577
Unknown artist, Chinaexpand_more
Stoneware with moulded decoration under brown glazeexpand_more
Gift of Ruth and Bruce Daytonexpand_more 2004.132.6
On View in Gallery 204expand_more
This rare vessel is made in the form of a caravaner's water flask. It is moulded on each side in high relief with two central Asian musicians flanking a smaller central Asian dancer, the men all wearing belted tunics and baggy pants tucked into high boots. Central Asian musicians and entertainers arrived in China via the Silk Road during the sixth century and a wide interest in central Asian exoticism became an important feature of Sui (581-618) and Tang (618-907) culture. Several different musical styles including the hu xuan "nomadic whirl" are mentioned in the Sui Shu history of the Sui dynasty, and the excellent preservation of this vessel clearly shows the musicians with long curly hair and other foreign features playing the flute and clapping their hands in rhythmic gesture.
Details
- Title
- Flask with Figural Decoration
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- 2004.132.6
- Curator Approved
This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.
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