The figures were probably found in Chinese tombs and show two Silk Road pedlars, with wares on their back and holding ewers. Chinese Tang dynasty (618–907) tombs contained numerous small statues depicting foreigners, reflecting the cosmopolitanism of China at this time. These two illustrate well the method of production of unglazed earthenware figurines. The parts were mass produced in moulds, then luted together and painted. Different heads on the same body, or a head put on at a different angle, resulted in individual characters.
Earthenware with traces of pigment
The British Museum, 1936,1012.56 & 1973,726.192