Throughout Chinese history, the military officer
and civil
official had been among the most idealized
personages of Chinese society.
Often in conflict with one another as
they vied for supremacy, the
military officer and civil official became the
object of scrutiny or praise for
philosophers and artists, as characterizations of
them figured prominently in
parables and visual representations of social
life.
These figures of the Sui
Dynasty provide an accurate
representation of the popular imaginations about
these two archetypes.
The military officers stands strong,
heavily clad in protective garment
with hands clenched as if attached to
weapons.
His ferocious face, protruding demon-
like eyes, flared nostrils, and lips
pulled back to reveal clenched teeth are
indicative of prowess, enabling him to
intimidate his foe. On the other
hand, the scholarly civil official is a paragon of
moral virtue and wisdom. His features are soft, rounded
somewhat feminine accentuated
by flowing silk robes draped over his
body.
He glows with equanimity--a sure sign
of his benevolence in governing and
supreme understanding of right and
wrong.
Secular sculpture of the
Sui dynasty is represented by tomb
figurines that are slim and unadorned. These
figurines, still bearing earthen residue, exemplify
Sui tastes, as they too were
made to accompany their lord in the
afterlife.
Abounded with the virtue of loyalty, the
military officer and civil
official lived to serve their master--a loyalty that
did not end in this life
but rather carried on into life after death.
