A RARE PAIR OF BACTRIAN CAMELS, PAINTED GRAY POTTERY, TANG DYNASTYChina, 618-906. Each animal braying with its head raised, the back covered with a teardrop-shaped saddle between its humps, painted with large eyes, orange fur, and white saddle with lozenge pattern, one camel with upright standing hairs to the head. (2)Provenance: Sotheby's New York, 3 June 1992, lot 165, estimate USD 10,000 or approx.EUR 20,000 (converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing). Harold and Ruth Newman, Connecticut, acquired from the above in an after-sale transaction. Harold Newman (1931-2021) earned his undergraduate degree at the University of Oklahoma, where he first developed a lifelong interest in Asian studies. He served in the U.S. Army in Strategic Intelligence for two years before beginning an investment career with Goldman Sachs. In addition to his career in finance, Newman was a trustee of the Asia Society in New York City, a board member of The Hertz Foundation and MCC Theater, and a producer of well-known plays In the Heights and Hamilton, among others. Newman established the University of Oklahoma Institute for US-China Issues and the Newman Prize, the first American award for Chinese literature. Together with his wife Ruth, they also supported the Asia Society Museum with a significant gift including works from famous East Asian artists.Condition: Some repairs and touch- as generally expected from Tang dynasty excavations. Extensive wear, minor losses, chips, cracks, remnants of ancient pigments, and soil encrustations.Weight: 1.9 kg and 1.8 kgDimensions: Height 20.8 cm and 21.4 cm, Length circa 31.5 cm (each)From the 6th century onwards and throughout the entire Tang dynasty, the Bactrian camel frequently appears among the tomb figures of China. Imported from the Tarim Basin, eastern Turkestan, and Mongolia, it was an essential means of transporting merchants and cargo along the Silk Road into China. The species was highly regarded by the Tang emperors who established dedicated offices to oversee the imperial camel herd. Referred to as the s of the desert, camels endured hot temperatures and were the essential method of transport for merchants wishing to conduct trade with the oasis cities of Central Asia, such as Samarkand, Bukhara and Isfahan, along the trading routes of the ancient Silk Road.Expert’s note: This pair of camels is highly unusual as each camel has four holes to the underside, probably for the insertion of wooden legs for support inside the tomb.Literatureparison:Compare a related figure of a recumbent camel, Tang dynasty, in the collection of the Asian Civilization Museum, accession number 1997-01942.Auction resultparison:Type: RelatedAuction: London, 11 May 2021, lot 72Price: GBP 4,845 or approx.EUR 6,300 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A fine painted pottery model of