Approaching National Treasures: Marble Sculpture of a Kneeling Anthropomorphic Figure with a Tiger Head
The Cultural Heritage Preservation Act categorizes antiquities as “national treasures,” “significant antiquities,” or “general antiquities,” depending on their rarity and value. The national treasures held in the collection of the Institute of History and Philology (IHP) consist of 50 items in 22 groups, all of which, aside from two rare books, are rare, exquisite archaeological artifacts. The “Approaching National Treasures” exhibition displays one national treasure at a time in a specialized case, bringing each national treasure close to the public with detailed introduction.
National Treasure Bio
Name: Marble Sculpture of a Kneeling Anthropomorphic Figure with a Tiger Head
Field reg. no.: 2:1553
Collection reg. no.: R001757
Height: 37.1 cm
Weight: 28.5 kg
Material(s): marble
Place of origin: Tomb M1001 of the King of Shang, Yinxu, Anyang, Henan province
Age: More than 3,300 years
Date of excavation: Nov. 24, 1934
Excavating individual: Liu Yao (later Yin Da, 1906–1983)
Date of “national treasure” categorization: Jun. 30, 2009
“National treasure” doc. no.: Authorized by the BOCH no. 0982108065
Issued Postage Stamp: “Ancient Chinese Artifacts Postage Stamps: The Ruins of Yin” (Dec. 10, 2014)
Exhibitions:
1937 Second National Fine Art Exhibition, Ministry of Education (Apr. 01–23, 1937)
1964 New York World’s Fair (Apr. 22–Oct. 18, 1964; Apr. 21–Oct. 17, 1965)
1967–2000 Hsi-pei-kang Tomb M1001, Houjiazhuang, Yinxu, Anyang, exhibited by the National Palace Museum
2008 Hsi-pei-kang Tomb M1001: Special Exhibition for the 80th Anniversary of the Anyang Excavation Project (Oct. 22, 2008–Apr. 14, 2019)
2012 King Wu Ding and Lady Hao: Art and Culture of the Late Shang Dynasty (Oct. 19, 2012–Feb. 19, 2013)
2014 Yinxu Artifacts on Stamps (Dec. 10, 2014–Jul. 01, 2015)
2018 Zoo in Museum: A Virtual-Real Jaunt of AR Experience (Dec. 12, 2018–May 29, 2019; Sep. 07, 2022–Jul. 03, 2023)
2024 Approaching National Treasures (May 18, 2024–)
Field reg. no.: 2:1553
Collection reg. no.: R001757
Height: 37.1 cm
Weight: 28.5 kg
Material(s): marble
Place of origin: Tomb M1001 of the King of Shang, Yinxu, Anyang, Henan province
Age: More than 3,300 years
Date of excavation: Nov. 24, 1934
Excavating individual: Liu Yao (later Yin Da, 1906–1983)
Date of “national treasure” categorization: Jun. 30, 2009
“National treasure” doc. no.: Authorized by the BOCH no. 0982108065
Issued Postage Stamp: “Ancient Chinese Artifacts Postage Stamps: The Ruins of Yin” (Dec. 10, 2014)
Exhibitions:
1937 Second National Fine Art Exhibition, Ministry of Education (Apr. 01–23, 1937)
1964 New York World’s Fair (Apr. 22–Oct. 18, 1964; Apr. 21–Oct. 17, 1965)
1967–2000 Hsi-pei-kang Tomb M1001, Houjiazhuang, Yinxu, Anyang, exhibited by the National Palace Museum
2008 Hsi-pei-kang Tomb M1001: Special Exhibition for the 80th Anniversary of the Anyang Excavation Project (Oct. 22, 2008–Apr. 14, 2019)
2012 King Wu Ding and Lady Hao: Art and Culture of the Late Shang Dynasty (Oct. 19, 2012–Feb. 19, 2013)
2014 Yinxu Artifacts on Stamps (Dec. 10, 2014–Jul. 01, 2015)
2018 Zoo in Museum: A Virtual-Real Jaunt of AR Experience (Dec. 12, 2018–May 29, 2019; Sep. 07, 2022–Jul. 03, 2023)
2024 Approaching National Treasures (May 18, 2024–)
(1) Excavation
“The array of stone carvings discovered at Houjiazhuang are entirely unprecedented. Prior to this [find], our knowledge of Chinese stone carving art began with the two Han dynasties [206 BCE–220 CE], but since the excavation of the stone carvings from Houjiazhuang, the history of Chinese stone carving can be pushed back by more than a thousand years, being traced back to the Shang dynasty [ca. 1350–1050 BCE].” (The Letters of Fu Ssu-nien, p. 1,284.)
The artifact Marble Sculpture of a Kneeling Anthropomorphic Figure with a Tiger Head was excavated from Tomb M1001 of the King of Shang at Yinxu (Ruins of Yin) in Anyang, Henan province, on November 24, 1934, and later declared a “national treasure” on June 30, 2009, in accordance with the Cultural Heritage Preservation Act. Royal Tomb M1001, cross-shaped and comprising four ramps, is enormous in scale. Compared to other royal burial sites in Hsi-pei-kang, M1001 is relatively early and is the largest in terms of size and number of unearthed artifacts. Although the tomb was repeatedly looted and damaged, an astonishing array of exquisite artifacts were discovered in the pits left by looters, among which the marble sculptures of various animals have received the most attention. Since the archaeological excavations beginning in the 1930s, these sculptures have been regarded as being representative of Shang dynasty (ca. 1350–1050 BCE) civilization and art.
Under the leadership of scholar Liang Ssu-yong (1904–1954), the IHP carried out a series of excavations of royal burial sites in Hsi-pei-kang from 1934–1935, discovering 10 larger tombs, 1 “large square pit” and more than 1,200 smaller in scale. The unearthing of artifacts at Tomb M1001 reached its zenith on November 24, 1934, as a remarkably intact and exquisite marble anthropomorphic figure was discovered at a depth of 4.2 meters lying on its side at the edge of a looter’s pit, presumably left behind unwanted. Along with the anthropomorphic figure, which astonished the team due to being an unprecedented find, others of a standing owl, two crouching tigers joined at their hips, two owl heads facing opposite directions, and a smaller standing owl, all of marble, were discovered. That same evening Liang Ssu-yong displayed the artifacts on the table and proposed its name. Fu’s Marble Anthropomorphic Figure (after Fu Ssu-nien [1896–1950]), Li’s Marble Anthropomorphic Figure (after Li Chi [1896–1979]), and even Liang’s Marble Anthropomorphic Figure (after Liang Ssu-yong) were all pitched, with Liang himself proffering Liu’s Marble Anthropomorphic Figure (after Liu Yao, later Yin Da [1906–1983], who led the excavation of Tomb M1001). Ultimately, however, the group did not reach a final consensus.
(2) Research
Veins of marble are relatively plentiful, making it easier to mine in large quantities; additionally, marble is softer and easier to work with, and has thus proven to be the preferred raw material, especially slabs uniform in color and having a fine texture, for stone carving. Looking at the marble figures unearthed from Yinxu, early craftspersons had fully mastered the characteristics of the material, even being capable of employing it for larger carvings. Moreover, from archaeological contexts, we can surmise that only the top-ranking nobles were able to procure marble to make solid sculpture. Large marble sculptures, for example, have only been excavated from the palace sites and the royal cemetery at Yinxu, whereas medium-sized standing animal figures have been unearthed at royal tombs and those of high-ranking aristocrats, such as the tomb of Fu Hao.
The collection of Yinxu marble sculptures held by the IHP is unrivaled in both quantity and quality. One can note the fine carving and fair quality of this Marble Sculpture of a Kneeling Anthropomorphic Figure with a Tiger Head, making it one of the most accomplished examples of the artform from Yinxu at the time as well as embodying the level marble craft had achieved by the Shang. Regarding the figure’s shape and other features, the body is anthropomorphic with the head of a tiger, kneels down, and the claw-like hands rest on its knees. Its head is slightly tiled upwards, the mouth is agape with bared teeth, the eyes—in the shape of the Chinese character mu—are open, and the ears resemble fans. Incised motifs cover the figure, including dragons with bottle-like horns on both arms and upright dragons with curved tails moving up the thighs to the hip. The base is divided in two, and a vertical groove runs along the back, which has been speculated to allow the figure to be attached as an ornament to a wooden structure. The base and the groove are similar to those of the Marble Sculpture of a Standing Owl excavated from the same tomb, and considering that the size and weight of the two artifacts are approximately the same, the function of the two are likely identical. Regrettably, because the burial site was looted and damaged, their exact function still eludes us to this day.
(3) Related Exhibitions
Marble Sculpture of a Kneeling Anthropomorphic Figure with a Tiger Head soon became the center of attention and an indispensable part of the IHP collection and related exhibitions. Regarding the 1964 New York World’s Fair, in which the IHP participated, scholar Shih Chang-Ju (1902–2004) recalled: “A major event for the IHP was the exhibition of the marble anthropomorphic figure abroad in 1964. It was escorted to New York by Chen Chung-yu [1935–] to take part in the [World’s Fair] on March 4, with the National Palace Museum providing a batch of objects and the IHP doing so as well.” In 1967, the IHP collaborated with the National Palace Museum (NPM) to display artifacts from Tomb M1001 at Yinxu, an exhibition which lasted until 2000. In celebration of the 80th anniversary of the IHP in 2008, the “Hsi-pei-kang Tomb M1001: Special Exhibition for the 80th Anniversary of the Anyang Excavation Project” was organized which featured stone carvings and other artifacts unearthed at Tomb M1001 and other burial sites at Yinxu. In 2012, the “King Wu Ding and Lady Hao: Art and Culture of the Late Shang Dynasty” at the NPM, which was the first time Taiwan and China jointly held an exhibition of Yinxu artifacts.
Chunghwa Post Co., Ltd., in 2014 issued “Ancient Chinese Artifacts Postage Stamps: The Ruins of Yin,” selecting eight representative artifacts from Yinxu that included the marble anthropomorphic figure and standing owl excavated from Tomb M1001; and in concert, the IHP held the “Yinxu Artifacts on Stamps” exhibition. Finally, in 2018, the IHP organized the “Zoo in Museum: A Virtual-Real Jaunt of AR Experience” event, which used augmented reality (AR) and 3D animation technologies to bring the marble anthropomorphic figure and standing owl to life. From the above exhibitions and events, Marble Sculpture of a Kneeling Anthropomorphic Figure with a Tiger Head has undoubtedly been a stunning showcase wherever it has appeared on display.
3D Gallery of the IHP
Audio Guide
Catalogue and Reference
梁思永未完稿,高去尋輯補,《侯家莊‧第二本‧1001號大墓》,臺北市:中央研究院歷史語言研究所,1952年,頁77-79;圖版柒壹、柒貳。
杜正勝主編,《來自碧落與黃泉:中央研究院歷史語言研究所文物精選錄》,臺北市:中央研究院歷史語言研究所,1998年,頁33。
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Souvenir