Scanning Light and Shadow Studio - Tang Dynasty Camel Carrying Music and Dance Tricolor

The Tang Dynasty pottery camel carrying music and dance tri-color figurines, also known as the Tang Dynasty camel riding music and dance tri-color figurines, are Tang Dynasty pottery. They were unearthed in the tomb of Xianyu Tinghui in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province in 1957. In 2013, they were included in the "Catalogue of Cultural Relics Prohibited from Exhibition Abroad" and are now in the National Museum of China.

The camel head of the Tang Dynasty pottery camel carrying music and dance tri-color figurines is 58.4 cm high, 43.4 cm long from head to tail, and the dancing figurine is 25.1 cm high. The camel stands with its head held high, carrying 5 adult men from Han and Hu. A Hu man is dancing in the middle, and the other 4 people are sitting around playing. The only musical instrument left in their hands is a pipa (according to research, one person should play the pipa, one person should play the 筚篥, and two people should play the drum), all of which belong to Hu music. It shows the "Hubu New Sound" popular in the Kaiyuan period (713-741) and Tianbao period (742-756) of the Tang Dynasty, that is, the new dance music after the integration of Hu and Han cultures.

The Tang Dynasty pottery camel carrying music and dance tri-color figurines should represent an acrobatic show in Chang'an Baixi. Records of the Tang Dynasty Baixi include the plate cup show, the sword swallowing show, the macaque pole show, and the flying ladder show. In the Tang Dynasty, there were special Baixi troupes in the East Market and the West Market of Chang'an City. In addition to their own performances, they could also be hired by people for money. Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty once "summoned the two markets to entertain the imperial concubine". The camel-carrying music show combines acrobatics and circus. The height of a Bactrian camel is generally about 2 meters, and the load capacity can reach 250 kilograms. It takes a lot of training to carry 5 adult men. The 5 artists sang and danced on the platform without a fence on the camel's back, showing their difficult skills.

Generally, Tang Sancai is a "funerary object" (funerary objects). Model friends are not interested in buying it as a home furnishing just because it looks good!