Two camels and a groom (Camel)

This group of two camels and their central Asian driver is remarkable for its large size, expressive modeling, and strong color. The heavily bearded groom rides a Bactrian (two-humped) camel, and they are accompanied by a one-humped dromedary. As the Chinese empire extended across most of central Asia during the Tang dynasty (618–907), the need for camels was enormous. Camels were treasured for their reliability in transporting people and trade merchandise through the great Gobi and Tarim deserts. Most camel herders were foreigners from Mongolia and central Asia. The great dusty beasts thronging the sprawling markets of cities like Chang’an (present-day Xi’an) and Luoyang gave Tang potters ample opportunity to study their every characteristic as well as those of the foreigners who tended them.