Funerary figures. China, Liao dynasty (946-1125)

Pair of funerary figures. China, Liao dynasty (946-1125).
Cypress wood.
Rare funerary object: similar specimens have been excavated in a Liao tomb in Daxing County (Hebei Province) in 1979 - Ref.: wenwu No. 121960).
The buyer will be provided with the carbon test from the Institute of Particle Physics in Zurich. The wood has been treated by Archeoplan in Delft.
Measurements : 50 cm (height).

These funerary figures had the function of accompanying the deceased in the afterlife, representing the continuation of daily life and showing the social hierarchy and activities of the deceased. Each character is finely carved from a single piece of wood. The faces have a beautiful internalized expression. The man has a thin beard and head covered with a hat, and wears a long tunic with long sleeves and a belt. The woman wears a long coat with equally long sleeves covering a pleated skirt.

The funerary figures of the Liao dynasty (907-1125 AD) are ceramic sculptures of people and animals, used as tomb accompaniments. These figurines, unlike other dynasties, reflect the influence of the funerary customs of the Khitan culture, with a focus on depicting daily life and Khitan culture. They tend to depict scenes of daily life, such as hunting, farming, or resting.