Tang Dynasty Glazed Pottery Bactrian Camel Figure

An exceptional Chinese glazed pottery figure of a Bactrian two-Humped camel, Tang Dynasty (618-906AD), standing fours-quare on long legs upon a rectangular base, its long neck raised to support the well modelled head, with mouth open, and nostrils flared, as if braying, the amber-ochre glaze dripping majestically over the body, mouth, legs, and tail. The powerful neck with thick plaits of fur on the underside, with groomed mane. The slender cream-glazed humps leaning in opposite directions, 80 cm high with fitted wooden stand. This dating of this figure is consistent with the result of a thermoluminescence test (266 c67), tested prior to October 1990. Provenance: Ex Sotheby's, Melbourne, 23 October, 1990, Lot 194, originally one of a pair sold from a private collection, Ex Sotheby's, London, 10 June, 1986, Lot 9, Literature, This figure has been written about in a number of articles, including the Financial Review, 25/10/1990 and the Age 20/10/1990. Other Notes: At the beginning of the Tang Dynasty, the domestic two-humped bactrian camel had already been used by the Chinese for at least a thousand years. They were valuable animals, sought after for their reliability to courier men and merchandise along the silk route as the 'Ships of the desert'. Private gentlemen of means often kept camels as a sign of their wealth and position. Tomb figures such as this camel were used by the Imperial elite to provide for the afterlife., reference: for similar, please see: Christie's New York, 17 March 2017, Christie's, New York, 18 September, 1997, Lot 131, Sotheby's, New York, 16 September, 2008, Lot 96, a similar figure of a Bactrian camel is illustrated by Mizuno in Toujitaikei, vol. 35, Tousansai (Tang sancai), Heibonsha series, 1977, pl. 100. See, also, the similar figure of slightly larger size (83 cm.) sold at Christie's Paris, 15 June 2005, lot 130, a camel of the same model from the Edward T Chow collection was included in the Exhibition of Chinese Tomb pottery figures, University of Hong Kong, 1953, catalogue no D33.