Indian Figure

Tang Dynasty, 618 - 906 AD
Gansu Provincial Museum

Evidence of the mixing of peoples during the Tang period is provided by this pottery statue of a man with recognizably Indian features. Religious traffic between China and India was two-way, as monks from China visited India to get scriptures, and monks from India visited China to ordain monks and spread the Dharma. In terms of trade, there was a route from southern China into northern India, and an extensive network of connections by sea along the Indian coast. The figure seen here is secular, given his hair and clothes. He could be a trader, merchant, or member of a diplomatic mission.