Tomb guardian

6th - 9th century

The Chinese were fascinated with the appearance of foreigners and tended to represent them as caricatures, exaggerating facial characteristics such as large noses, heavy eyebrows and facial hair that make the attendants appear fierce, strange, and sometimes humorous. They were perceived as brutes possessing superior physical strength, but lacking the sophistication and culture of the Han Chinese.

Earthenware with paint

36 1/4 x 9 1/2 x 9 in. (92.08 x 24.13 x 22.86 cm)

Overall h.: 40 5/8 in.

Eugene Fuller Memorial Collection

35.3.2

Now on view at the Asian Art Museum

Resources

Exhibition HistorySeattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, The Museum: Mixed Metaphors, Fred Wilson, Jan. 28 - June 13, 1993.

Seattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, Timeless Grandeur: Art from China, Apr. 25, 2002 - June 12, 2005.

Seattle, Washington, Seattle Asian Art Museum, Chinese Art: A Seattle Perspective, Dec. 22, 2007 - July 26, 2009.

Seattle, Washington, Seattle Asian Art Museum, Boundless: Stories of Asian Art, Feb. 8, 2020 - ongoing.

Seattle, Washington, Seattle Asian Art Museum, Boundless: Stories of Asian Art, Feb. 8, 2020 - ongoing.

Seattle Art Museum respectfully acknowledges that we are on Indigenous land, the traditional territories of the Coast Salish people. We honor our ongoing connection to these communities past, present, and future.

Learn more about Equity at SAM

Tomb guardian

Tomb guardian

Related Works

Resources