Funerary Figure

This rare wooden figure is from the Chu culture in southern China, as is the fierce mythological guardian figure with antler horns, also in this gallery. The tomb figure was carved from a single piece of wood, with chisel marks clearly visible on the lower part of the figure. Arms carved from separate pieces of wood, now missing, were attached to the figure with wooden pins inserted through the drilled holes. There are remnants of silk fabric on the body, perhaps part of the original clothing worn by the figure at the time of burial. Fragments of fibers representing hair are found on the hairline and top of the head, and there are also traces of lacquer pigments.