Accession Number1991/2.17
TitleDuck
Artist(s)ChineseArtist NationalityChinese (culture or style)Object Creation DateEarly 7th centuryMedium & Supportearthenware with glazeDimensions 3 1/8 in x 2 11/16 in x 1 9/16 in (7.94 cm x 6.83 cm x 3.97 cm)
Credit LineGift of Willard A. and Marybelle Bouchard HannaSubject matter
An earthenware straw-colored glazed
mingqi (明器)("bright object") figure of a duck of the Sui dynasty (581-617).
Since the Qin dynasty (221 - 206 BCE), ceramic figures have been used to replace human sacrifice in burial practices as
mingqi as a way to provide for the deceased.
Mingqi could include houses, towers, gates, granaries, livestock pens, chicken coops, wells, cooking stoves, storage vessels, dishes, incense burners, and lamps. Figures could include horses, dogs, anthropomorphic animals and people, such as officials, guardians, servants, and entertainers. By the Han dynasty, they also included representations of common people engaged in the activities that consumed their daily lives, such a cooking. The tombs in southern provinces of Sichuan and Shaanxi have revealed a vast array of figures in playful and humorous poses. As grave goods, these
mingqi included everything one would need to ensure a comfortable transition into the afterlife. The number of ceramic
mingqi items in a tomb could reach numbers of a few to several hundred objects.
Physical DescriptionA small earthenware figure of a duck standing on two feet with head curved down, covered in a straw-colored glaze.
Primary Object Classification Ceramic Primary Object Typefunerary sculptureAdditional Object Classification(s)CeramicCollection AreaAsianRightsIf you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit
http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.
Keywords
birds (motifs)
ceramic (material)
ducks (birds)
earthenware
figures (representations)
grave goods