Figure of a Secretary or Official
Unknown Artist
Medium
Pottery
Dimensions
H. 18 in. (45.7 cm)
Classification
Tomb Pottery
Culture & Period
China · Tang dynasty (618–907)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1918
Accession Number
18.56.27
Art Historical Context
This captivating *Figure of a Secretary or*, crafted in pottery during China's Tang dynasty (618–907), stands at an impressive 18 inches (45.7 cm) tall. As a piece of tomb pottery from the Asian Art collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Artacquired through the Rogers Fund in 8—it exemplifies the mingqi tradition, where unglazed or simply fired ceramic figures were buried with the elite to serve in the afterlife. Standing poised and attentive, this official likely represented a bureaucratic aide, reflecting the Tang era's vast imperial administration. The Tang dynasty marked a golden age of...