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- period (1 127-1279) �, the north was controlled by the non-Chinese dynasties of the Liao, Xi Xia, Jin and Yuan, who were constantly harassing their Chinese neighbours to the south. The use of tomb figurines during these periods seems to have been much less widespread, and appears to have decreased in quantity and declined in quality, with some exceptions. Most of the human figurines are small, poorly proportioned, stiff or motionless, expressionless and unattractive. They are usually unglazed, made of both white and grey earthenware, painted with pigments and stand on flat bases or slightly raised pedestals. The most popular tomb figurines of this time appear to be entertainers, actors and servants. Some figures, mainly from the Jin and Yuan dynasties, are made by a completely different sculpting process: a fired clay brick was carved into the final image. Clumsy sculptures of horses are the most numerous of the animal tomb sculptures. Some figurines of stone have been found in Song tombs, and stone and gilt bronze statues of animals and humans have been excavated from Xi Xia tombs near Yinchuan (fig. xiv).
The most spectacular excavated tombs with figurines from these periods are: a Song tomb at Xinlifeng Jiaozuo in Henan province; a Jin tomb at Xifengfeng Jiaozuo in Henan; the Jin tomb of Madame Dong at Houma in Shanxi province; and the Yuan tombs of Duan Jirong at Qujiangchi in Shaanxi province, and the Hefamily at Huxian in Shaanxi province.
The Ming dynasty (1368-1644), which put an end to Mongol rule in China, reintroduced many funerary traditions of the Tang and Song dynasties. Small glazed figurines appear to have made a modest comeback at this time. The figurines in important Ming tombs are usually very numerous and arranged in honour-guard processions. There are mounted figures and marching figures of officials, warriors, banner bearers, male and female attendants, and musicians, which are usually placed on flat or raised bases. Also found in many Ming tombs are glazed ceramic architectural models of palatial houses with gates, sedan chairs and furniture. Ming tomb figurines of humans continued the tradition of stiff poses and blank expressions, while the horses have become even more awkward-looking. Some of the most spectacular Ming tomb figurine processions come from Sichuan province, including an impressive set of more than 400 figurines from the tomb of the Ming prince, Zhu Chun, now housed in the Sichuan Provincial Museum in Chengdu (fig. xv). In 1970, the tomb of another Ming prince, Zhu Dan, was opened in Zuoxian, Shandong province, revealing an entourage of two miniature carriages, 380 human figurines and twenty-four horse figurines.
In 1644, the Manchus overthrew the Ming dynasty and set up their own dynasty called Qing which would last until 1911. Very few sets of Qing period tomb figurines have been excavated. The most noteworthy is a set of stiff but realistic ceramic figurines arranged in a family setting with servants, a table of food, beds, etc., found in the tomb of Wu Liuqi at Dabu in Guangdong province (fig. xvi). Although the use of paper images had been a common practice since Song times, by late Ming and early Qing times, it appears that the use of clay figurines was almost completely replaced by the burning of paper effigies at the tomb of the deceased. Today in the countryside of China, one can find villages which still make paper effigies of horses, people and houses, and parade them with much fanfare through the streets to the graves of the deceased (figs, xvii, xviii). It is interesting to note that the funerary custom of looking after the deceased by placing objects in the tomb or burning paper images for the spirits, which started so long ago, has survived into modern times in China.
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