Ancient Chinese, Tang Dynasty Terracotta Beef - 20 cm

This Ancient Chinese Terracotta figure represents a beef cattle from the Tang Dynasty period (618–907 AD), a time renowned for its advancements in art and culture. The Tang era is celebrated for its terracotta sculptures, which often portrayed animals, warriors, and servants as mingqi—funerary objects intended to accompany and serve the deceased in the afterlife. Terracotta models of livestock like this cattle reflect the agrarian economy and the cultural importance of cattle in sustaining food supply and agriculture. Made from fired clay, such figures exemplify the Tang Dynasty's refined ceramic techniques and their interest in realism and symbolic representation.