Unusually large pottery figures of Bactrian double-humped camels, with foreign grooms seated on their backs. They are rendered with extraordinary realism, almost appearing to be in motion. Their long necks curl up, heads rearing back, mouths open in a bray. A tuft of fur sits on top of their heads, at the top of the forelegs and on their bumps; one also has fur running down the length of the neck. The removable grooms, are wearing long-sleeved tunics (hufu) - a typical form of dress of the Northern nomadic tribes - and sturdy black riding boots. Their fists are clenched in the act of controlling the reins - now gone as they would have been made of an organic material such as leather or rope. Such large pottery figures would have been modelled in parts, assembled with slip, the individual details added before firing. After the firing, they were cold-painted with predominately brown pigments. Camels, also referred to as the ships of the dessert, were of vital importance to the Chinese merchants. These resilient and cantankerous animals were actually not indigenous to China, but brought into the country via trade routes from Turkestan and Mongolia. They became an essential means of transportation of goods and people between China and the oasis cities of Central Asia, Samarkand, Syria and Persia. Camels are particularly hardy beasts of burden, able to endure hot and cold temperatures, whilst carrying a massive load of up to 120 kilograms of cargo and travelling up to 50 kilometres a day. Depending on how hard they worked, they could even go for 4-9 days without water and slightly longer without food. Their large cushioned feet ensured they did not sink into the soft ground of the desert, their double lashes and hairy ears protecting them from sand and dust. These unique capabilities, made them ideal for travelling across the forbidding deserts and the high mountain ranges of the Silk Road - a vast network of trading routes, extending west from China into Central Asia, the Middle East and beyond. These capacities, made the camel a very important and valuable asset for the Chinese merchants and a sign of great wealth.
Experienced foreign grooms were often hired to train, handle and accompany them – as is attested by the many depictions of foreign grooms that have been found. The trade in China during the Tang dynasty was truly phenomenal. Many silks, ceramic wares, bamboo and other goods were traded for horses and luxury goods such as perfumes and spices. The main capitals of the thriving Tang empire were Chang’an (now Xian) and Luoyang in North Western China. At its height, the very cosmopolitan Chang’an was of a monumental scale, covering 84 square kilometres, with around a million citizens. It had a formal grid plan with two great markets: the Eastern Market and the Western Market. They were the centre of the city’s commercial activity, filled with shops and places to eat and drink tea - an activity greatly favoured by the Tang court. The cosmopolitan nature and embracement of other cultures in Tang society, is reflected in the frequent occurrence of foreign elements in contemporary burials. The men and women of different races and religions appear to have coexisted in relative freedom. This allembracing attitude adopted by the Tang rulers, greatly facilitated the cultural exchange between the Chinese people and foreigners. Travellers recorded coming to China included Songdians, Turks, Uighurs, Arabs, Mongols, Persians and Indians. Not only were goods exchanged between East and West, but culture and religion also travelled along the Silk Road. This was also expressed in the great religious tolerance towards the Muslims, Nestorians, Christians, Zoroastrians and Buddhists.
The British Museum has a large glazed camel in its collection, which is from a tomb dating to 728 AD (acc.nr.1936, 1012.228). A large glazed camel with a foreign rider in in the Victoria & Albert Museum, London (acc.nr. C.880-193). The Zhaoling Museum, Shaanxi Province, has a large sancai glazed camel with a rider excavated from the area.
