A rare and large sancai figure of a camel, Tang dynasty, 8th century | 唐八世紀　三彩駱駝

A Japanese private collection.

Kochukyo Co., Ltd, Tokyo.

5th Anniversary Exhibition. All-Stars of the Okada Collection: Masterworks of Korin, Jakuchu, Hokusai and the Ru Ware Kilns, Okada Museum of Art, Hakone, 2018-19, exh. no. 35 (unillustrated).

Kobayashi Tadashi, ed., Masterpieces of the Okada Museum of Art, vol. 1, Tokyo, 2013, no. 4.

The present figure exquisitely captures the camel in a dynamic state of bray, its back elaborately laden with silk, goods, and symbolic items reflecting the wealth and diversity of Silk Road commerce. The camel bears silk fabrics and a phoenix-headed ewer alongside cuts of meat on one side, while the other side is laden with silk scrolls and game, vividly bringing to life a Silk Road caravan scene. Executed in the typical sancai palette of amber, green, and cream glazes, this camel exemplifies the artistic zenith of the high Tang period. The meticulous detailing of the camel’s textured manes and robust leg muscles showcases the potters' expert craftsmanship and careful study of these exotic animals.

The Tang dynasty, noted for its cosmopolitan culture and expansive trade networks, saw the introduction of Bactrian camels from Central Asia, Mongolia, and Turkic territories. These majestic animals, not native to Central China, were so integral to the empire that a specialised Camel Office (Tuofang) was established to manage the imperial herds. Utilised as both military couriers and transport animals along the Silk Road, these "ships of the desert" were pivotal in maintaining the commercial and cultural lifelines between Central China and regions as far-flung as Persia and the Near East.

Additionally, the ceremonial role of camels in Tang dynasty rituals, overseen by high-ranking officials as noted in the New Book of Tang, underscores their significance within the imperial court and beyond. As a rare and complete example of its type, this camel not only embodies the technological prowess of Tang artisans but also the spirit of cultural exchange that defined the era.

The tradition of placing camel models in tombs, which began in the 6th century, symbolised the deceased's wealth and influence. The substantial size, exquisite craftsmanship, and vivid sancai glazes of the present lot suggest their original placement in the tomb of a distinguished Tang aristocrat. Compare several highly related examples: a similar camel in the Luoyang Museum, illustrated in Great Tang Sancai: Collections from Luoyang Museum and Liaoning Provincial Museum, 1989, no. 8b; another camel in the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, illustrated in E.R. Knauer, The Camel's Load in Life and Death, Zurich, 1998, pp. 96-98, pl.67; and the third one in the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, illustrated in Chinese, Korean and Japanese Sculpture in the Avery Brundage Collection, San Francisco, 1974, p. 206, no. 101.

來源

日本私人收藏

壺中居，東京

展覽

《開館5周年記念展―美のスターたち―光琳．若冲．北斎．汝窯など名品勢ぞろい》， 岡田美術館，箱根，2018-19年，展覽編號35（沒載圖）

出版

小林忠編，《岡田美術館名品撰》，卷1，東京，2013年，編號4

此尊駱駝俑背負絲綢包裹，昂首嘶鳴之態栩栩如生。一側駱駝馱載成捆絲絹，間飾鳳首壺與肉排；另一側駱駝則馱負絲綢卷軸與野味，生動再現了絲綢之路上的商隊景象。釉色以經典的黃、綠、褐三彩為主，正合盛唐三彩之典型特征。駱駝頸部鬃毛與腿部肌肉的刻畫尤為精妙，體現了唐代工匠對異域生物的細致觀察。

雙峰駱駝原非中原物種，而是通過西域、突厥及蒙古等地引入中土。唐代特設駝坊管理皇室駝群，既為運輸之需，亦作北方邊陲軍情傳遞之用。此等「沙漠之舟」不僅服務於宮廷，更為商旅所倚重，成為連接中原與中亞、波斯乃至近東諸城的重要商貿文化紐帶。

考唐代典章，駱駝在宮廷禮儀中地位殊榮。《新唐書·百官志》載「駝坊」設令一人，秩從八品上，足見其重視程度。本品不僅具有極高藝術價值，更是研究唐代對外貿易與跨文化交流的重要實物史料。傳世三彩駱駝載貨俑中，成對保存且品相完好者尤為稀見，堪稱盛唐時期工藝成就與開放精神的完美縮影。

以載貨駱駝俑隨葬之風始於六世紀，既彰顯墓主尊榮，亦象征其商業影響力。本品體型碩大、塑工精湛、釉色絢麗，當屬唐代顯貴墓室隨葬之物。可資比對者包括：1971年出土，現藏洛陽博物館的一例，見《洛陽博物館・遼寧省博物館　大三彩　唐三彩・遼三彩・ペルシャ三彩・奈良三彩》，東京，1989年，編號8b；賓夕法尼亞大學考古與人類學博物館藏兩例，見 E. R. Knauer，《The Camel's Load in Life and Death》（駱駝的生與死），蘇黎世，1998年，頁96-98，圖版67；以及舊金山亞洲藝術博物館藏一例，見《Chinese, Korean and Japanese Sculpture in the Avery Brundage Collection》（布倫戴奇收藏中國、朝鮮及日本雕塑），1974年，頁206，編號101）。