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China

Camel and Rider

Tang dynasty (618–907), first half of 8th century
Earthenware with three-color (sancai) lead glazes
66 × 25.5 cm (26 × 10 in)

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● On view now — Gallery 130

Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago · verified July 2026

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FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG

Sculptors of tomb figures keenly observed and then skillfully rendered in clay the caravans of Bactrian camels. These animals were led by grooms who hailed from the Taklamakan Desert located in China’s northwestern border regions. In Tang-dynasty China, camels were novelties, considered auspicious because their packs carried valuable goods from the West.

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