Silk Road Dress in a Chinese Tomb: Xu Xianxiu and Sixth-Century Cosmopolitanism
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SILK ROAD DRESS IN A CHINESE TOMB: XU XIANXIU AND SIXTH-CENTURY COSMOPOLITANISM Kate A. Lingley 8QLYHUVLW\RI+DZDL·LDW0œQRD +RQROXOX+DZDL·L he Northern Qi tomb of Xu Xianxiu in Taiyuan, China by the beginning of the Tang. They can help Tdating to 571 CE, is remarkable for its unusually illuminate the process by which the foreign becomes well-preserved tomb murals, depicting the deceased familiar in a multicultural society. and his wife along with over 200 attendants of various kinds. It is a rich resource for the study of a period The tomb during which categories of “indigenous” and “for- Xu Xianxiu’s tomb is located in an orchard near the HLJQµZHUHQRWDEO\ÁXLG /HZLVSS² %\ village of Wangjiafeng, in the eastern part of Taiyuan the Northern Qi, the preceding two centuries of con- City, the capital of Shanxi province [Figs. 1, 2]. It is quest and trade gave rise to a cosmopolitan culture PDUNHGDERYHJURXQGZLWKDWXPXOXVWKDWULVHVÀYH WKDW GUHZ RQ D YDULHW\ RI LQÁXHQFHV SUHVDJLQJ WKH PHWHUV DERYH WKH ÁDW VXUIDFH RI WKH ODQG PDNLQJ LW better known cosmopolitanism of the Tang. The va- YLVLEOHIURPDVLJQLÀFDQWGLVWDQFH,WUHPDLQHGXQGLV- rieties of dress shown in the tomb’s murals illustrate turbed in modern times until December of 2000, when the lively interactions between Chinese and Silk Road local residents noticed that tomb robbers had attempt- cultures during the period, belying the old stereotype ed to dig into the tomb, and alerted the archaeologi- RILQH[RUDEOH6LQLFL]DWLRQ,QIDFWWKHÀJXUHVLQ;X·V cal authorities. Salvage excavations and conservation tomb illustrate a complex transition by which certain work took place over the next two years, concluding styles of dress, derived from Central Asian models, in October of 2002 (Shanxi kaogu2003). became entirely normalized and domesticated in )LJ0DSRI QRUWKHDVW &KLQD VKRZLQJORFDWLRQ RI7DL\XDQZLWK RWKHU VLJQLÀFDQW FLWLHV DQG VLWHV RI WKH SHULRG 'UDZLQJ E\ WKH DXWKRU !)LJ0DSRI WKH7DL\XDQDUHD ZLWK ORFDWLRQ RI ;X ;LDQ [LX·VWRPE$IWHU 6KDQ[L NDRJX S 1 Copyright © 2014 Kate A. Lingley 7KH6LON5RDG12 (2014): 1 - 12 + Color Plate I Copyright © 2014 The Silkroad Foundation )LJ3ODQRIWKHWRPE$IWHU6KDQ[LNDRJXS The tomb consists of a single, large, chamber about Despite its past depredations, the tomb immediately 6.5 m square, constructed of grey bricks, with a became the focus of intense interest for its unusual- four-sided vaulted ceiling. The chamber is located di- ly well-preserved mural paintings. Both side walls of rectly under the tumulus, with a short, barrel-vaulted the sloping tomb passage and the barrel-vaulted en- EULFNHQWU\ZD\DQGDÀIWHHQPHWHUORQJWRPESDVVDJH try, and all four walls of the tomb chamber, are cov- dug directly into the earth [Fig. 3]. The tomb passage HUHGZLWKSDLQWLQJVRIPRVWO\KXPDQÀJXUHVSDLQWHG begins at ground level at its southern end, extending at or nearly life size. The area covered is more than northward and sloping down to the level of the tomb VTXDUHPHWHUVDQGPRUHWKDQKXPDQÀJXUHV entrance. The entrance was sealed with a carved stone DUHUHSUHVHQWHG7KHÀJXUHVLQWKHWRPESDVVDJHDUH door and door frame. painted on a skim coat of white plaster applied direct- 7KHSUHVHQFHRIQRIHZHUWKDQÀYHORRWHUV·WXQQHOV ly to the earthen walls. Within the brick structure of (four in the main chamber and one in the entryway) the tomb chamber and entryway, a thicker layer of suggests it was robbed at various times throughout plaster has been applied over the bricks to create a its history, and relatively few grave goods survive. smooth surface for the murals. Other than one miss- What remains are mostly objects whose value is large- ing section on the south wall of the tomb chamber, the O\KLVWRULFDOFHUDPLFWRPEÀJXULQHVDQGJOD]HGYHV- murals in Xu Xianxiu’s tomb are essentially intact, and sels, and the carved-stone tomb epitaph. A plain silver provide a rich visual reference for their time. ring, and a more ornate gold ring with a blue intaglio gem, were overlooked by robbers in the rubble, and The murals are nearly the only objects of precious metal found during the dig. This tomb displays a decorative scheme which Zheng Yan has characterized as the “Yecheng model” (恢❶ 7KHWRPEHSLWDSKLGHQWLÀHVWKHPDOHWRPERFFXSDQW 奬⇞) (Zheng 2002, pp. 181ff). The Yecheng model is as one Xu Xianxiu (ᗀᱮ⿰), who died in 571 CE at the found in aristocratic tombs of Northern Qi date found DJHRIVHYHQW\;XZDVWKHVRQDQGJUDQGVRQRIRIÀ- in the region of the Northern Qi capital, Yecheng (now cials who served the Northern Wei. As a young man, Linzhang county in southern Hebei province). Tombs he became a follower of the Northern Wei general Er- of this type are also found in and around the city of zhu Rong (ቄᵡ㦓), and then of Erzhu’s own general Jinyang (now Taiyuan), the Northern Qi’s secondary Gao Huan (儈⅒), who became father and grandfather capital. Yecheng-type tombs are simple in layout, like of the emperors of the Northern Qi dynasty (550–577). Xu Xianxiu’s tomb, comprising a single main tomb Under the Northern Qi, Xu served in a series of im- chamber with entrance and tomb passage. They are portant military and civil positions, culminating in his furnished with extensive and elaborate mural paint- enfeoffment as Prince of Wu’an (↖ᆹ⦻) under the ings in a distinctively Northern Qi style, painted us- reign of Emperor Wucheng (↖ᡀᑍ), and later pro- ing an iron-wire outline in black on a white plaster motion under Houzhu (ਾѫ) to Defender-in-Chief JURXQG ZKLFK ZDV WKHQ ÀOOHG LQ ZLWK FRORU 2I WKH (ཚሹ), the head of the imperial armies (Taiyuan wen- eight or more such tombs which have been excavat- wu 2005, n.p.). In other words, Xu was an important ed,1 Xu’s is by far the best preserved. PLOLWDU\RIÀFLDORIWKH1RUWKHUQ4LDQGWKHVFDOHDQG elaboration of his tomb were commensurate with his The decorative program of Xu Xianxiu’s tomb (Tai- rank and position. yuan wenwu 2005) begins at ground level, at the en- 2 )LJ(OHYDWLRQRIWKHWRPEZLWKWRPESDVVDJHPXUDOV $IWHU6KDQ[LNDRJXS trance to the tomb passage, and culminates on the rear 7KHWRPEHQWUDQFHZLWKLWVVWRQHIUDPLQJLVÁDQNHG wall of the main chamber. Walking down the sloping E\WZRSDLQWHGJXDUGÀJXUHVDUPHGZLWKZKLSVRU SDVVDJHWKHYLVLWRULVÁDQNHGRQHLWKHUVLGHE\PX- ÁDLOV 6LPLODUO\ DUPHG ÀJXUHV VWDQG RQ ERWK VLGHV ral paintings [Fig. 4]. Those at ground level are frag- of the barrel-vaulted entryway. The visitor emerges mentary, but seem to represent a pair of supernatural through an arched doorway into the main tomb cham- JXDUGLDQ ÀJXUHV RQH RQ HLWKHU VLGH RI WKH SDVVDJH ber, a high-vaulted, square room. On the near wall, the 7KHVHDUHIROORZHGE\DODUJHQXPEHURIKXPDQÀJ- mural paintings have fallen away to the right (east) of ures, making up an honor guard of armed soldiers. the entrance, but the remaining mural on the left side 7KHVH PDOH ÀJXUHV FDUU\ D YDULHW\ RI ZHDSRQV DQG allows us to imagine the missing material with some IDOOEURDGO\LQWRWZRJURXSV7KHÀUVWJURXSRQERWK FRQÀGHQFH7KHHQWUDQFHLVÁDQNHGE\VWDQGDUGEHDU- sides of the upper part of the tomb passage, hold aloft ers who carry banners on long pikes and face the door- standards with streaming banners, and some bear way on both sides. Above the doorway are two more long conical trumpets over their shoulders. In other supernatural guardians, descending from above. WRPEVPXUDOVDQGÀJXULQHVVKRZVLPLODULQVWUXPHQWV The procession of standard-bearers continues actually being played, as if to provide a martial fanfare around the corners of the chamber and onto both side (see Cheng 2003, p. 441). The second group, nearer to walls [Fig. 5]. The east wall is dominated by a large the tomb entrance, bear no banners or trumpets, but and very ornate ox-cart, surrounded by grooms and lead two war horses, saddled and bridled, on either attendants [Fig. 6, next page]. The attendants who fol- VLGH$OOWKHÀJXUHVRQWKHSDVVDJHZDOOVDUHSDLQWHG low behind the cart, supporting its canopy or holding in three-quarter view, and all face outward, as if they fans or other objects, are clearly female. In the corre- are keeping watch for threats that might come from the outside world. The visitor passes between their )LJ'UDZLQJRIWKHPXUDOVLQWKHWRPEFKDPEHU ranks like a supplicant. $IWHU6KDQ[LNDRJXS 3 )LJ3KRWRJUDSKRIWKHHDVWZDOOPXUDOV are a pair of female servants bearing trays of drinking $IWHU7DL\XDQZHQZX3O cups. To the viewer’s right, nearest Xu Xianxiu himself, the attendants are all men, including two SLSD (lute) sponding position on the west wall is a riderless horse SOD\HUVDQGZKDWPD\EHDÁXWLVWDORQJZLWKRWKHUV [Fig. 7], saddled and caparisoned with a rich sad- bearing objects including a furled umbrella-like can- dle-cloth. The horse is followed by male attendants, opy. To the viewer’s left, nearest Xu’s wife, the atten- who bear a large canopy, a huge fan of the deer-tail dants are all women, and include musicians playing (咯ቮ) type, long pikes and other weapons, and vari- a SLSD, a VKHQJ (mouth organ), and a NRQJKRX (harp). ous items of gear. Others carry a second canopy and a large round feath- 6RIDUDOOWKHÀJXUHVHQFRXQWHUHGE\WKHYLVLWRURQ HUIDQ$OOURXQGWKHIRXUZDOOVRIWKHFKDPEHUÁ\LQJ the way into the tomb have faced outward, as if to ORWXVEORVVRPVDQGEXGVÀOOWKHDLU guard against unwelcome intrusion. Within the tomb, The murals on the vaulted ceiling are damaged and the ox-cart and horse also face outward, suggesting faded, but details of constellations can be made out the possibility of movement toward the tomb entrance here and there, and the overall design probably repre- DQG EH\RQG %XW WKH ÀJXUHV RQ WKH UHDU ZDOO RI WKH sented the heavens. It is not unusual for mural-paint- chamber face inward, in a composition centered on ed tombs of the sixth century to have cosmological the portraits of Xu Xianxiu and his wife, whom the designs painted on the ceilings, including constella- viewer approaches face to face [Fig. 8; Color Plate I]. tions, the Milky Way, zodiac animals, supernatural They sit on an elevated platform couch (ᒺ) under a creatures, and so on. Examples include the late North- high, square canopy, which has been drawn back ern Wei tomb of Yuan Yi near Luoyang, with a rela- on either side with ribbonlike ties.