\n\tDuring the Period of Disunity, the most powerful dynasty in northern China was the Northern Wei (386–535). It was founded by the Tuoba clan of the Xianbei, a federation of nomadic tribes from the Steppe region north of China. The Tuoba tactically adopted customs of their southern neighbors, including a Chinese-style administrative bureaucracy to run their government and Chinese names for members of their aristocracy. The lands ruled by the Tuoba included important trade routes that linked China with Central Asia and regions further west, sustaining the fortunes of the dynasty and bringing diverse goods and peoples to Northern Wei cities.\n
\n\n\tThis remarkable tomb retinue—composed of attendants, soldiers, horsemen, court officials, bearded foreigners with heavily laden camels, and ensembles of musicians—forms a rich portrait of Northern Wei society. The large assemblage, indicative of the tomb occupant’s high rank, also includes early examples of tomb-guardian figures. The two large creatures sitting on their haunches, along with the oversized civilian officials and armored warriors, symbolically protected the deceased. Figures of chickens, pigs, rams, and geese were included as representations of the abundance to be enjoyed in the afterlife.\n
","remarks":"ASIA_15_CLA Day 1 Cataloguing"},{"texttype":"Online","textpurpose":"Provenance","textentryhtml":"Professor Patrick J. Kelleher, Graduate School Class of 1947 (1917–1985), and Mrs. Patrick J. Kelleher, by 1963; given to the Princeton University Art Museum, 1963.","remarks":null}],"media":[{"id":55999,"uri":"https://media.artmuseum.princeton.edu/iiif/3/collection/INV023744","isprimary":1,"rank":1,"mediatypeid":1,"mediaviewtype":"(not assigned)","restrictions":null,"caption":"Inventory Project"}],"hasimage":"true","bibliography":[{"boilertext":"\"Summary of Acquisitions, 1963,\" Record of the Art Museum, Princeton University, vol. 23, no. 1 (1964): p. 29-31.","citation":"\"Summary of Acquisitions, 1963,\" Record of the Art Museum, Princeton University, vol. 23, no. 1 (1964): p. 29-31., p. 31","date":1964,"id":545,"uri":"https://www.jstor.org/stable/3774404"}],"exhibitions":[],"geography":[{"displaygeography":"Place made: Asia, China","code":"Place made","continent":"Asia","subcontinent":null,"country":"China","region":null,"state":null,"city":null,"county":null,"subregion":null,"locale":null,"locus":null,"river":null,"excavation":null,"geoname":null,"location":{"lat":"","lon":""}},{"displaygeography":"Place excavated: Asia, China, Henan province, northwest of Loyang Fu","code":"Place excavated","continent":"Asia","subcontinent":null,"country":"China","region":null,"state":"Henan province","city":"northwest of Loyang Fu","county":null,"subregion":null,"locale":null,"locus":null,"river":null,"excavation":"tomb excavation","geoname":null,"location":{"lat":"","lon":""}},{"displaygeography":"Place excavated: Asia, China, Henan province","code":"Place excavated","continent":"Asia","subcontinent":null,"country":"China","region":null,"state":"Henan province","city":null,"county":null,"subregion":null,"locale":null,"locus":null,"river":null,"excavation":"tomb excavation","geoname":"http://www.geonames.org/1801792/luoyang.html","location":{"lat":"","lon":""}}],"terms":[{"id":2055431,"term":"equestrian statues","aatid":300047606,"termtype":"Classification"},{"id":2055657,"term":"figures (representations)","aatid":300189808,"termtype":"Subject"},{"id":2049167,"term":"ceramics","aatid":300151343,"termtype":"Classification"},{"id":2033355,"term":"Chinese","aatid":300018322,"termtype":"Culture"},{"id":2103918,"term":"horses","aatid":null,"termtype":"Subject"},{"id":2033505,"term":"Three Kingdoms (Chinese)","aatid":300018393,"termtype":"Period / Style"},{"id":2158100,"term":"warriors","aatid":null,"termtype":"Subject"},{"id":2168058,"term":"slip glaze","aatid":300015110,"termtype":"Materials"},{"id":2049225,"term":"earthenware","aatid":300140803,"termtype":"Materials"}],"classifications":[{"id":2055431,"classification":"equestrian statues"},{"id":2049167,"classification":"ceramics"}],"cultures":[{"id":13592,"culture":"Chinese","alphasort":"Chinese","begindate":0,"enddate":0,"displayculture":"Chinese","displaydate":null}],"cultureterms":[{"id":2033355,"culture":"Chinese"}],"periods":[{"id":12511,"period":"Wei dynasty","alphasort":"Wei dynasty","begindate":220,"enddate":265,"displayperiod":"Wei dynasty, 220–265 CE","displaydate":"220–265 CE"}],"periodterms":[{"id":2033505,"period":"Three Kingdoms (Chinese)"}],"attribute_groups":[{"id":2199319,"term":"Asian Art","termtype":"Collecting Area"}],"dimensionelements":[{"element":"Overall","type":"Height","units":"centimeters","dimension":"24.00"},{"element":"Overall","type":"Width","units":"centimeters","dimension":"22.70"},{"element":"Overall","type":"Depth","units":"centimeters","dimension":"8.50"}],"packages":[{"packageid":278831,"name":"10282025-DAY1-ONVIEW"},{"packageid":214208,"name":"Gallery_13-15(Pavilion4)-Asian"},{"packageid":181967,"name":"web_2020_Asian"}],"primaryimage":["https://media.artmuseum.princeton.edu/iiif/3/collection/INV023744"],"displaymaker":null,"displayculture":"Chinese","displayperiod":"Wei dynasty, 220–265 CE","caption":"Chinese, Wei dynasty (220–265 CE), Warrior on horseback, early 6th century. Gray earthenware with buff and red slip; 24 x 22.7 x 8.5 cm. Gift of Professor Patrick J. Kelleher, Graduate School Class of 1947, and Mrs. Kelleher (y1963-41)","captionhtml":"Chinese, Wei dynasty (220–265 CE), Warrior on horseback, early 6th century. Gray earthenware with buff and red slip; 24 x 22.7 x 8.5 cm. Gift of Professor Patrick J. Kelleher, Graduate School Class of 1947, and Mrs. Kelleher (y1963-41)","published_date":"2026-02-11 10:14:52.015449","campusart":[{"campuscollections":"false","campusart":0,"neighborhood":null,"lat":null,"lon":null}],"extended_content":false}