Object Description
A finely carved unglazed terracotta tile dating from the Song Dynasty. To the front, an advancing lion and its rider sit beneath a florid frame, a common motif in Buddhist art, derived from the Indian chaitya arch. The piece displays some retention of pigment, with vibrant yellow to the lion’s mane and tail, and red and brown pigmentation on the rider’s robes. The interpretation of this image has roots in the origin of the Buddhist faith. Lion were associated with Shakyamuni, or Gautama Buddha, who retained his title of the ‘lion of the Shakya tribe’ as he entered Buddhahood. He is often depicted riding a lion or having the animal nearby, guarding the Buddha as he meditated.
The reverse displays the full palm imprint of the potter, forming a personal mark equivalent to a manuscript signature. Sometimes potters and especially tile-makers of the Song period ‘signed’ their work by impressing one hand flat into the reverse. A whole tomb decorated with figural representation modified in this way was unearthed in Shanxi Province and reported in the western press in 2018, when it was revealed during renovations to a modern house built over the tomb.
Date: 1368-1644 AD