Dwarf figurines

[Dwarf figurines]

Dwarf figurines, Tang Dynasty, 18.5 cm high
This figure is the image of the Hu people, wearing a round bowl-shaped hat, a knee-length gown with a narrow sleeve lapel strap, and a bare chest and belly, indicating that they are in a hot summer. With one hand drooping and one fist clenched, the object in his hand has been lost. From the image, this figure should be a dwarf. The dwarfs of the Tang Dynasty generally paid tribute to the court from the local government. For example, the residents of Daozhou were short and short, and they paid tribute to the court every year, called “dwarf slaves”. Some were paid tribute to the Tang Dynasty from abroad. According to the unearthed cultural relics and literature records, these dwarfs, who are full of palaces and aristocratic families, either make funny performances for the host to make fun of, or serve the host, do some chores, or specially serve as meat tables to let the host sit on them. After 1949, a considerable number of dwarf figurines have been unearthed in the tombs of high-ranking officials and relatives of the Tang Dynasty in Shaanxi, Henan and other places.