Description
A Chinese Pottery Tomb figurine of a First Tomb General 南宋首墓将军陶立俑
Southern Song Dynasty (1127–1279)
(SOLD)
Sculpture from the Song dynasty tends to falls into one of three categories:
- burial goods
- religious statues (of the kind found in temples)
- small tabletop sculptures (for personal worship).
This particular figure is a funerary sculpture, meaning it is “burial goods.” We can further subdivide these types of burial goods into objects from:
- A) imperial tombs
- B) ordinary burial sites.
The Northern Song tombs of the wealthy and ruling class may be viewed as a continuation of the elaborate burials of the Tang Dynasty, albeit on a smaller scale. This practice began with royalty and eventually spread to the common people. These tombs generally favor stone carvings over pottery and consist of figural and animal sculptures. Like Tang sculptures, they remain lively and full of vitality. However, in contrast to the Tang Dynasty, the social function of these items gradually shifted—from primarily displaying the status of the tomb owner to serving the purpose of bringing good fortune and warding off evil.
This particular figure does not come from an imperial tomb. Although ordinary Song Dynasty tombs lack the grand stone statuary found in imperial mausoleums, they nevertheless contain a variety of funerary figurines reflecting the lifestyle and beliefs of the Song people. Compared to prior dynasties, subject matter became more lifelike and diverse. A broad range of subjects is depicted, including warriors (武俑), military officials (武俑), civil officials (文俑), male and female servants (仆俑), religious deities (神仙俑), zodiac animals, figurines depicting theatrical scenes (杂剧场面的群俑), figures of the Four Gods (四神), and various other spirits (神煞俑). In most instances, these figures are either human (人物) or animal (动物), with human figures being the most common.
Due to changes in burial customs during the Song Dynasty, the quality and quantity of funerary figurines declined significantly compared to previous dynasties. As a result, Song dynasty figurines are relatively rare by comparison. Several factors contributed to this decline. The types of funerary objects (mingqi 明器) became increasingly diverse, including items made not only of pottery but also wood, stone, porcelain, and other materials. New burial practices also emerged, particularly the burning of paper funerary objects. Although cremation was never a dominant funerary practice in China, it became more widespread in certain regions during the Song dynasty. Even sancai tri-color pottery—used primarily as burial goods during the Tang dynasty—began to be used in daily life during the Song dynasty rather than exclusively for funerary purposes.
Nevertheless, pottery figurines continued to hold a significant place among Song Dynasty funerary objects, even if they are comparatively rare. Most surviving examples come from larger tombs in the south. Few funerary figurines are found in Northern Song or Liao Dynasty tombs, as northern tombs generally preferred brick carvings. Documented excavations in the north are also rare compared with the south, where large numbers have been excavated in places such as Fujian.
This particular figure stands atop a low platform, as if guarding the gates of an important institution, with a sword resting between his hands. There are distinct stylistic differences between northern and southern figures, and it is likely that this example originated from Jiangxi or Fujian. An almost identical figure identified as a “First Tomb General” (首墓将军) was excavated as part of a set in the Southern Song dynasty tomb of the Huang family. The burial was of a man who died in the fifth year of the Jinding (景定) era, in 1264. The group of figures is now in the collection of the Sanming Museum in Fujian.
In terms of production, figures such as this were molded and then further sculpted, with additional details carved in. The head and base were likely formed and attached separately. A layer of white slip was applied before painting. Although most of the original color has now faded, faint traces remain visible upon close inspection.
(SOLD)
20 cm high.
Sourced from a Japanese collection.
