The tightly curled hair of these figures stereotypically indicates their African origin. Tang-dynasty China was highly cosmopolitan, with many races mixing at the capital of Chang’an (modern Xi’an).
Exhibition HistorySeattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, The Museum: Mixed Metaphors, Fred Wilson, Jan. 28 - June 13, 1993. Text by Patterson Sims. No cat. no., reproduced pp. 28-29.
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.
