Standing boar

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONThis clay model of a standing boar was placed in a tomb to provide food for the deceased in the afterlife.WHERE WAS IT MADE?This model was made during the Wei period (220-265) in China.HOW WAS IT MADE?Objects that are made to use in the afterlife are called mingqi (ming chi). Clay mingqi are formed in molds. Clay can be pressed into the same mold over and over again to make many copies. The artists who made mingqi in ancient China worked together in workshops. Several clay pieces are joined together to make a complex sculpture.HOW WAS IT USED?Mingqi, like this boar, were sculptural objects created to serve the soul in the afterlife. Ceramic models took the place of actual sacrificial animals by the time of the Western Han period (2nd century BC). Although some animals served as guardian figures for the tomb and the deceased, it is more likely this boar was included to be a source of food for the soul, as pigs were an important part of farming economy.