Let it suffice to say here that the hand-modelled earthenware representations of the twelve houses of the Chinese zodiac—each represented by a specific animal—appear quite off the beaten track. The several sets known to exist in museums are identical stylistically, products it would appear hailing from the same place and time. Three figures from a similar set of twelve—a horse, ox, and tiger—in the Yunnan Provincial Museum were reportedly excavated in Dali in Yunnan and are attributed to the Yuan period. Thermoluminescent dating of the present set and other related sets supports a Yuan era date of production at the latest. Further support for a Yuan date of production are inscriptions written in Phags-pa in red on some of the zodiacal figures of at least one set.1 The script was invented by a 13th-century Tibetan Buddhist lama, Phags-pa, who served Kublai Khan. The script, named after its creator, was intended to be used throughout the Mongol world, including China where the Mongols ruled under their Yuan dynasty from 1279 to 1367.
The sculptural style of these figures is rather peculiar and quite engaging. With their intricate details and individualized features brought out by scraping, pinching and gouging the clay, and their captivating boldfaced expressiveness even when simply nestled in place, these figures bring to mind the gargoyles of Gothic architecture and one can’t help but imagine the possibility of influences from that quarter.
1. See Kaikodo Journal XXXIV (Spring 2018) no. 7.
Detail (Rooster, Dragon, Snake):
