Rest red painted potteryChina , Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD)Dimensions: Height 16,5 cm by 17 cmWeight: 538,1 gramsMingqi are Chinese burial goods. They included daily utensils, musical instruments, weapons, armor, and intimate objects.Mingqi served to provide the deceased with necessities and comforts in the afterlife. The deceased person's po was said to remain in the realm of the tomb while the hun ascended to heaven. To appease and make worthwhile the deceased's po, mingqi claimed relevant and liked by the deceased were placed in his tomb. Upon placing mingqi in the tomb, humans, according to the Confucian ideal, were harmonizing the cosmos by striking a balance for the comfort of the deceased who is also comforted in heaven.