Tomb sculpture of a civil official

The missing official tablet once held in the rectangular indentation of this figure's right hand, in combination with the figure's Chinese robe, indicates his status as a civil official or wenli. The rather large indentation in the hands, with or without a tablet, was a later innovation that was not employed before the Sui-Tang period. This official wears a two-petaled cap, a wide-sleeved robe which opens on the right side, and a floor-length undergarment pleated at the bottom. The semicircular cap, a style in use since the Sui, was heightened and some were fashioned with a brim of two curved petals. The sharply carved face, corresponding to the rhythmic draping of the sleeves, creates an aesthetic mood of the Tang period (CGK Zenshu 1983 vol. VII: figs. 8-9).