The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of April 19, 2024

Tomb Guardians

Tomb Guardians

early 700s
(618-907)
glazed earthenware, sancai (three-color) ware
Part 1: 92.3 x 43.8 x 41.9 cm (36 5/16 x 17 1/4 x 16 1/2 in.); Part 2: 88.9 x 41 x 50.8 cm (35 x 16 1/8 x 20 in.)
Gift of various donors to the department of Asian Art (by exchange) 2000.118
Location: 239 Chinese Ceramics and Metalwork

Did You Know?

Sancai (three-color) glazes in green, amber, and transparent white, plus expensive cobalt blue glaze, show the high social status of the tomb’s occupant.

Description

With fierce expressions, elongated spikes, and exaggerated physical features, these two fantastic creatures were intended to guard the entrance to a tomb, warding off evil as well as keeping the soul of the deceased from wandering. Known as qitou, or earth spirits, both sculptures differ in appearance: one has an animal face, claws, and a pair of antlers; the other sports a human face with huge ears, hooves, and a short horn.
  • ?-2000
    (Kaikodo America Inc., New York, NY, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art)
    2000-
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Cleveland Museum of Art, “Tomb Guardian Pair from Tang Dynasty Acquired by CMA,” December 12, 2000, Cleveland Museum of Art Archives. archive.org
    May, Sally Ruth, Jane Takac, and Barbara J. Bradley. Knockouts: A Pocket Guide. Cleveland: Cleveland Museum of Art, 2001. Reproduced: cat. no. 79, p. 74- 75; Mentioned: p. 119
    Franklin, David and C. Griffith Mann. Treasures from the Cleveland Museum of Art. Cleveland, OH: Cleveland Museum of Art, 2012. Reproduced: pp. 74-75
    “A Selection of 2001 Museum Acquisitions.” Apollo: The International Magazine of Art & Antiques 154 (December 2001): 24–57. p. 27
    "Major Acquisitions: 2000-2005." Cleveland Art: Cleveland Museum of Art Members Magazine 45, no. 6 (July/August 2005): 6-19. Mentioned: P. 7; Reproduced: P. 9
    Chung, Anita. "Chinese Masterworks." Cleveland Art: Cleveland Museum of Art Members Magazine 53, no. 5 (September/October 2013): 14-15. Mentioned and reproduced: P. 14
    Bidwell, Frederick E. and Leslie Cade. The CMA Companion: A Guide to the Cleveland Museum of Art. [Cleveland]: Cleveland Museum of Art; New York, NY: Scala Arts Publishers, 2014. Mentioned and reproduced: P. 95
  • {{cite web|title=Tomb Guardians|url=false|author=|year=early 700s|access-date=19 April 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2000.118