\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":"Rt Rev Donald Bradshaw Aldrich (1892–1961) and his wife until d. 1961; given to the Princeton University Art Museum by Mrs. Donald B. Aldrich, 1965.","remarks":null}],"media":[{"id":55996,"uri":"https://media.artmuseum.princeton.edu/iiif/3/collection/INV023747","isprimary":1,"rank":1,"mediatypeid":1,"mediaviewtype":"(not assigned)","restrictions":null,"caption":"Inventory Project"}],"hasimage":"true","bibliography":[{"boilertext":"\"Acquisitions 1965 and 1966,\" Record of the Art Museum, Princeton University 26, no. 1 (1967): p. 2, 19-32.","citation":"\"Acquisitions 1965 and 1966,\" Record of the Art Museum, Princeton University 26, no. 1 (1967): p. 2, 19-32., p. 25","date":1967,"id":880,"uri":"https://www.jstor.org/stable/3774554"}],"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":2033480,"term":"Northern Qi","aatid":300018405,"termtype":"Period / Style"},{"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":12536,"period":"Northern Qi","alphasort":"Northern Qi","begindate":550,"enddate":550,"displayperiod":"possibly Northern Qi, 550–577 CE","displaydate":"550–577 CE"},{"id":12544,"period":"Eastern Han or Three Kingdoms period","alphasort":"Eastern Han or Three Kingdoms period","begindate":205,"enddate":280,"displayperiod":"Eastern Han or Three Kingdoms period, 205-280 CE","displaydate":"205-280 CE"}],"periodterms":[{"id":2033480,"period":"Northern Qi"}],"attribute_groups":[{"id":2199319,"term":"Asian Art","termtype":"Collecting Area"}],"dimensionelements":[{"element":"Overall","type":"Height","units":"centimeters","dimension":"26.50"},{"element":"Overall","type":"Width","units":"centimeters","dimension":"22.00"},{"element":"Overall","type":"Depth","units":"centimeters","dimension":"8.60"}],"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/INV023747"],"displaymaker":null,"displayculture":"Chinese","displayperiod":"Eastern Han or Three Kingdoms period, 205-280 CE | possibly Northern Qi, 550–577 CE","caption":"Chinese, Eastern Han or Three Kingdoms period (205-280 CE), possibly Northern Qi (550–577 CE), Tomb figure: Horse and rider, early 6th century. Gray earthenware with buff slip, red paint; 26.5 x 22 x 8.6 cm. Gift of Mrs. Donald B. Aldrich (y1965-238)","captionhtml":"Chinese, Eastern Han or Three Kingdoms period (205-280 CE), possibly Northern Qi (550–577 CE), Tomb figure: Horse and rider, early 6th century. Gray earthenware with buff slip, red paint; 26.5 x 22 x 8.6 cm. Gift of Mrs. Donald B. Aldrich (y1965-238)","published_date":"2026-02-11 10:16:06.436796","campusart":[{"campuscollections":"false","campusart":0,"neighborhood":null,"lat":null,"lon":null}],"extended_content":false}