2006: Pair of warriors. Northern China. Time of the Sui (581-618)

Polychrome terracotta | H. 0,484; L. 0,157; P. 0,143 and H. 0,48; L. 0,155; P. 0,145

MC2006-72. and MC 2006-73. Gift of the Society of Friends of the Cernuschi Museum

These guards held a spear in their right hand and in their left hand, no doubt, a sword which has now disappeared because it was made of perishable material. Their features with a strong nose, marked eyebrows and relatively abundant hair indicate their Western origin, certainly Central Asian. In addition to their significant size, the exceptional freshness of their polychromy enhanced with gold and the realism of their physiognomy attract attention. Participating in the same ensemble, the two soldiers have particularities in their pose and the decoration of their breastplates. One of them wears hexagonal lamellae armor (MC 2006-72.). The other, resting on his bent right leg, wears a protection with square lamellae (MC 2006-73). We can discuss the reality of such armor in relation to models actually worn and the freedom taken by the painter at such an ancient time. Few, however, are the Sui warriors who have retained their polychromy. It is thus appropriate to quote a mingqi of the Museum of Fine Arts of Boston (inv. 37-205), it is true of smaller size but with the ornamentation also gilded, but especially a pair of guards of size almost identical to the new figurines from the Cernuschi Museum (h: 0,473), kept at the Tenri Museum in Tôkyô. The rich and varied decoration of their armor juxtaposes hexagonal slats at the top and rectangular slats on the skirt. One of the two leans on the right leg. All these soldiers wear a sort of gaiter hung on the sides of the knees, undoubtedly intended to protect the sides of their frames from the roughness of their trousers with scales. Both by the shape of the helmets, mantelets and breastplates which, tightened at the waist, reveal a slight plumpness, as by the particular type of "terraces" hollowed out between the feet and serving as a base for the statuettes, it is with the guards of the Tenri Museum that the statuettes of the Cernuschi Museum have the most analogies.