Mingqi (spirit articles) were a prominent feature of Chinese mortuary pottery made for the nobility and distinguished men.  Over time the subject matter changed to reflect current fashions, interests and concerns.  Clay figures of military generals, included in tombs since the Western Han period, are particularly good illustrations of those permutations.  Military successes ensured security and fostered expansiveness as maritime and overland trade routes, such as the Silk Road, extended the trading sphere from Japan to the Byzantine and Islamic empires, bringing foreign peoples to the capital.  This cultural diversity is depicted in the costumes, facial features, occupations, and pastimes of mingqi figures that began to embrace realism in form and detail unusual in Chinese art.         

This sculpture of a military officer captures the vitality of a gallant warrior as well as attests this flowering a cultural diversity.  Foreigners were often depicted with more facial hair and prominent noses.  This bearded warrior appears to combine Chinese and foreign attributes, accentuating the ferocity and tenacity of the soldier's spirit.  The body is clad in heavy armor--the chest plates are divided into four sections with decorative motifs and the shoulder plates cover the upper arm which is protected by a second layer of clothing tied above the chain mail of the forearm.  In typical T'ang fashion, the soft clothing and armor extend beyond the waist where it is cinched with a studded belt.  The officer wears ballooned pants drawn at the ankles over leather boots and sports protective headgear that is characterized by a protuberance on the top of the helmet.  His arms gesture as if he were grasping weapons in both hands as he stands in an attentive ready-to-strike position.