Model of Standing Offical

Art Historical Context

This delicate stoneware model of a official, crafted during China's Yuan dynasty (12711368), exemplifies the intricate tomb pottery tradition known as *mingqi*. Standing just 7 7/16 inches tall, petite figurine (H. 7 7/16 in.; W. 1 13/16 in.) was designed for burial, serving as a symbolic servant in the afterlife. The Yuan period, under Mongol rule, blended Chinese artistic heritage with new influences, yet tomb models like this preserved ancient customs of equipping the deceased with miniature worlds—including officials, animals, birds, and even houses—to ensure comfort and status beyond death. Made from stoneware, a durable high-fired clay prized for its strength and subtle glaze effects, the piece captures the official's poised stance and detailed attire, evoking bureaucratic hierarchy. Tags hint at a lively ensemble: men in robes, perhaps overseeing birds or domestic scenes with architectural elements, reflecting everyday life and imperial order. Such artifacts reveal Yuan society's reverence for continuity, where even the elite's afterlife mirrored earthly power structures. On view in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Asian Art department (gift of Charlotte C. and John C. Weber, 1994), this unknown artist's work invites us to ponder the eternal hopes encoded in clay.