Ca. 618-907 ADA large ceramic of a Bactrian camel, also known as a Mongolian camel, with a rider. The animal features a sandy pelt, while its characteristic mane, beard, and the hair of its upper leg are picked out in a coral-red. It stands in a contrapposto pose, with its right foreleg forward, as if walking and its head is thrown back as if bellowing. Atop its back is a saddle pad with carefully delineated details, including water bottles on each side. The rider is depicted as a plump, older man with his fists raised, who wears knee-high boots, tight trousers, and an open-chested vest; he sports a neat beard and moustache, carefully picked out in black. The Bactrian camel is an exceptionally hardy beast of burden, easily able to cope in the harsh deserts of Central Asia which border China. The domestication of these creatures allowed the development of the ancient Silk Road, which transported people, ideas and luxury goods between China and the West, by crossing the massive and inhospitable terrain which divided them. This beautiful figurine probably reflects medieval Chinese respect for a beast without which such trade would not have been possible. Item comes with a professional historical report from Ancient Report Specialists.Size: L:620mm / W:630mm ; 11.05kgProvenance: Property of London Art gallery; formerly in a Somerset estate collection, acquired in Hong Kong in the 1980s-90s.