骆驼 - 美国大都会艺术博物馆展品查阅

品名（中）	骆驼
品名（英）	Camel
入馆年号	1928年，28.121
策展部门	亚洲艺术（Asian Art）
创作者
创作年份	公元 550 - 公元 599
创作地区
分类	墓葬陶器（Tomb Pottery）
尺寸	高 9 3/4 英寸 (24.8 厘米); 长 9 1/2 英寸 (24.1厘米)
介绍（中）	这头骆驼背着木板条，支撑着两个驼峰上的马鞍，等待骑手，是为坟墓而建造的。北魏（386-534）、东魏（534-550）和北齐（550-77）王朝的陵墓中，明启或"灵器"的功能自汉代（公元前206-公元220年）普及以来基本保持不变：为死者来世服务。大量的墓葬雕像在北朝的墓葬中很常见，可能是用大型作坊的模具制造的，并由准备埋葬的家庭购买。虽然一些定义特征，如张开的鼻孔、弯曲的嘴唇和大而平坦的蹄子，被忠实地再现，但对轮廓的二维强调、光滑的表面和最少的毛发描绘以及颈部的弧度使野兽看起来起伏而不是庄严。骆驼在三世纪开始出现在坟墓中，从五世纪到八世纪在北方墓葬中变得越来越普遍。骆驼适应了中国北部草原和山区沙漠的自然栖息地，被用来将军用物资运往和运出严酷的边境，并作为商人甚至上层阶级成员的坐骑。
介绍（英）	This camel, bearing wooden slats supporting a saddle over its two humps and awaiting a rider, was created for a tomb. The function of mingqi or "spirit utensils" in the tombs of the Northern Wei (386–534), the Eastern Wei (534–550), and the Northern Qi (550–77) dynasties remained essentially the same since their popularization in the Han dynasty (206 B.C.–220 A.D.): to serve the deceased in the afterlife. Large numbers of tomb figurines were common in burials of the northern dynasties and were probably manufactured from molds in large workshops and purchased by families preparing for burials. While some defining characteristics, such as the gaping nostrils, curving lips, and large, flat hooves, are loyally reproduced, the two-dimensional emphasis on the profile, the smooth surface with minimal depiction of hair, and the curvature of the neck give the beast an appearance that is undulating rather than stately. Camels began appearing in tombs by the third century, and became increasingly common in northern burials from the fifth through eighth centuries. Adapted to their natural habitat in the steppes and mountainous deserts north of China, camels were used to transport military goods to and from the harsh frontier, and as a mount for traders and even members of the upper classes.