This Tang dynasty (618–907) tomb model shows how camels were loaded with goods for Silk Road travel. First a blanket or saddlecloth was fitted around the two humps. Two slightly curved slatted panels of wood, part of the moveable panels of the traditional nomadic tent, were fixed on either side. The large round saddlebags were filled with goods and, on top of these are rolls of silk (a common silk road currency), pots, a ladle, a pheasant and a rabbit on one side and, on the other, a knife scabbard, sword and sheath for arrows. A small monkey perches at the back.
Pottery with pigments
Shaanxi Provincial History Museum, 96.36