Glazed figurines

The oldest objects are mainly clay-glazed tomb figures dating from the Tang Dynasty (618-907). Ancestor worship was linked to the decoration of tombs. The resting place of the deceased was meant to allude to a past life. During the Tang dynasty, it was popular to place figures of dancers, court ladies, musicians, soldier guards and animals in tombs. This genre of clay sculpture was used to decorate burial chambers to recreate the earthly life of the deceased. On display are figures of a court lady, a musician and a non-Chinese servant. But the most eye-catching piece is a glazed figure of a horse. Horses played an important role in the martial arts of the Tang Dynasty. The mounts imported by the Chinese from the Ferghana Valley in Bactria were particularly prized. They were not only a symbol of their owner's status, but also of power and luck. They were therefore important tomb furnishings. The figure of a horse belonging to the Toruń collection is certainly an exceptional example of the mastery of ancient Chinese ceramics and one of the most beautiful objects in the World of the Orient exhibition.