Eastern Art Online, Yousef Jameel Centre for Islamic and Asian Art

Ashmolean − Eastern Art Online, Yousef Jameel Centre for Islamic and Asian Art

The Barlow Collection

A select catalogue of the Barlow collection of Chinese Ceramics, Bronzes and Jades by the University of Sussex (published Sussex, 2006).

The Barlow Collection by the University of Sussex

Publications online: 456 objects

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Figure of a sleeping servant boy

  • loan
  • Literature notes

    Pottery figures of curly-haired youths, sometimes depicted with dark skin and generally bare-chested and barefoot, wrapped in a long piece of cloth, are well known from the burial wares of the Tang dynasty (AD 618–907) (see the pair of figures in the Barlow Collection, [LI1301.429.1, LI1301.429.2]). The present figure, which represents an earlier example, is remarkable for its unconventional, naturalistic pose. A very similar figure was excavated from a Northern Wei tomb at Luoyang, Henan province, which can be dated to AD 528.

    The figure shows a sleeping servant boy, seated on the ground with legs pulled close to the body, his head buried in his arms, his face completely hidden, his dense curly hair clearly visible. A belted garment is indicated in low relief. The figure is hollow, the grey pottery is coated with a white dressing and shows traces of red pigment.
  • Details

    Associated place
    Asia China (north) (place of creation)
    Date
    6th century AD (AD 501 - 600)
    Northern Wei Period (AD 386 - 534)
    Material and technique
    earthenware, moulded, with incised decoration and traces of red pigment
    Dimensions
    9.5 x 3.9 x 6.2 cm (height x width x depth)
    Material index
    Technique index
    Object type index
    No. of items
    1
    Credit line
    Lent by the Sir Alan Barlow Collection Trust.
    Accession no.
    LI1301.397
  • Further reading

    University of Sussex, and Arts and Humanities Research Council, The Barlow Collection, supervised by Regina Krahl, Maurice Howard, and Aiden Leeves (Sussex: University of Sussex, 2006), no. S4

Glossary

earthenware

  • earthenware

    Ceramic material made of clay which is fired to a temperature of c.1000-1200⁰c. The resulting ceramic is non-vitreous and varies in colour from dark red to yellow.

Location

    • currently in research collection

Objects are sometimes moved to a different location. Our object location data is usually updated on a monthly basis. Contact the Jameel Study Centre if you are planning to visit the museum to see a particular object on display, or would like to arrange an appointment to see an object in our reserve collections.

 

Publications online

  • The Barlow Collection by the University of Sussex

    The Barlow Collection

    Pottery figures of curly-haired youths, sometimes depicted with dark skin and generally bare-chested and barefoot, wrapped in a long piece of cloth, are well known from the burial wares of the Tang dynasty (AD 618–907) (see the pair of figures in the Barlow Collection, [LI1301.429.1, LI1301.429.2]). The present figure, which represents an earlier example, is remarkable for its unconventional, naturalistic pose. A very similar figure was excavated from a Northern Wei tomb at Luoyang, Henan province, which can be dated to AD 528.

    The figure shows a sleeping servant boy, seated on the ground with legs pulled close to the body, his head buried in his arms, his face completely hidden, his dense curly hair clearly visible. A belted garment is indicated in low relief. The figure is hollow, the grey pottery is coated with a white dressing and shows traces of red pigment.
Notice

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