Description
A green glazed “Mingqi” (冥器) Han dynasty tomb model of two dwarf entertainers playing the ancient game of Liubo (六博棋). Although Liubo was extremely popular during the Han dynasty (206 B.C. to 220 A.D), in present day most scholars agree the rules of how the game was is played are lost in time. Despite recent archeological discoveries, it still remains a mystery. While the molding of the figurines and the model itself is crude and typical of tomb models of the period, it is the subject matter which makes this example potentially the rarest in ones collection. Figures of dwarf entertainers are not uncommon in Han funerary objects. What is uncommon, is depictions of Liubo players. Most models of Liubo reside in museum collections and while it is possible some exist in private collections, I am unable to locate any of them. Even more exceptionally uncommon, is dwarf entertainers playing Liubo. This makes this particular model extremely rare and perhaps even one of the only such models in existence above ground.
During the Han dynasty (and onward into the Tang dynasty), people with dwarfism were often depicted as servants or as court entertainers who were valued for their performance skills as comedians, musicians, dancers or acrobats. It was even fashionable for a time, for royal courts and noble families to raise dwarfs. This practice unfortunately alludes to those individuals general lack of autonomy and low social status as their primary role beyond entertaining and servitude was merely to enhance the social image of their masters. During the Tang dynasty, some dwarfs were even given by foreigners as tribute gifts to royal families (known as a “Kunlun slave” 崑崙奴) and most Tang depictions of this kind are of foreigners. Some local stories even claim dwarfs were sometimes made by putting healthy young children into clay pots in order to restrict their growth, however none of these legends can be verified. Nevertheless and somewhat in contrast to this image, they were also regularly depicted in Chinese art as “figures of wisdom.” One popular story tells the tale of a dwarf who became a diplomat and used wit, talent and skill to overcome obstacles despite his short stature. There are other more positive stories as well which depict dwarfs as more than just simple entertainers. And some simply worked more menial or average jobs such as mining, as farmers or as street performers
This piece is in three parts having been damaged either during excavation or perhaps in the tomb itself pre excavation. Presently it is in three pieces (see images).
Provenance: Japanese private collection.
Custom acrylic base included
