Page 89 - 2020 December 10 Christie's Paris Arts of Asia Chinese Art

These massive camels are fine examples of the type of figures that were The two-humped Bactrian camel was known in China as early as the Han
made to go into the tombs of the Tang elite. Such models, which would have dynasty, having been brought from Central Asia and Eastern Turkestan as
been very expensive to purchase, provided an obvious indication of the wealth tribute. Its amazing ability to survive the hardships of travel across the Asian
of a family who could afford to inter such costly goods with their deceased deserts was soon recognized, and imperial camel herds were established
relative. Not surprisingly, camels have been found among the burial items in under the administration of a special Bureau. These herds, numbering several
a number of the Tang imperial tombs, as well as some of those belonging to thousand, were used for a range of state duties, including the provision of a
other members of the Tang nobility. However, these models were not simply military courier service for the Northern Frontier. Camels were not only prized
symbols of wealth, they were also symbols of the way that wealth might have as resilient beasts of burden, their hair was also used to produce a cloth, which,
been acquired through trade and tribute along the Silk Route. In the Tang then as now, was admired for its lightness and warmth. Even camel meat was
dynasty, camels really did live up to the description of them as ‘ships of the regarded as a delicacy, with the hump being noted as particularly flavorsome.
desert’ and were used to transport Chinese goods, including silk across
the difficult terrain of the Silk Route to the eager markets of Central Asia,
Samarkand, Persia and Syria.