This terracotta sculpture, dating to the 8th century CE during the Tang dynasty, depicts a slave girl resting atop a camel.

Discovered in Hanshenzhai, Xi’an, it is now preserved at the Shaanxi Archaeological Institute in China. The piece captures a poignant moment of fatigue and humanity, as the young attendant reclines wearily across the camel’s hump.

Such sculptures were often placed in tombs to accompany the deceased in the afterlife, symbolizing travel, trade, and the cosmopolitan spirit of the Tang era.

The camel, a key animal along the Silk Road, reflects China’s vibrant connections with Central Asia and beyond, while the naturalistic rendering of both figures highlights the artistic sophistication and cultural openness of Tang funerary art.