The history of China was vague prior to the Gth century, but the figures from the 4th to the 8th centuries showed an extraordin occidental influence. Buddhism had been on the wane before the birth fof Christ, but from the 4th century missionary priests had been forth, and an influx of ideas, as well as people of the Scythian and Aryan types, commenced. This kept on until the 14th or 15th centuries, but the effect of these peoples remained. One of the figures on exhibition conformed perfectly with the definition in the British Eneycloprdia of the appearance of a Scythian, belted tunic, trousers tucked into soft Teather boots' and peaked cap all coinciding.
The Jewish influence was also to be seen in the figures found. There were many Jews who wandered into China, and even at present there is left a remnant of this in Kaifeng, where some 1,500 to 2,000 inhabitants still preserve a shadow of Jewish civilization... The Jews penetrated.as far as the Yellow River, and many of the figures were unmistakably of the Semitic type. A pedlar, carrying on his back a pack containing, presumably, wares for sale or barter, and with a pointed cap on his head, was ons "Jot M. de Rufté's exhibits.
Types of Figures As it was considered necessary to bury in a man's grave things necessary for his life in the next world, figures of his wives were included. In some other parts of the world swife had to follow her lord master. to the grave but, in China as M. de Ruffé suid, the wife had probably more to say regarding herself, and a figure representing her was al] that was necessary to follow the husband to the tomb."
Some of the figures were really beautiful, especially those of horses. Materials used, however, too often the figures most fragile, best figures appeared to be the most breakable, with the result that it was not advisable to move them around in travel too" much, The earlier figures were darker in colour than the more recent.
Another type showed a peculiar silvery glaze, resulting from direct contact with the earth and some form of oxidization, when a grave mound had collapsed. This glaze was rare, and was not found than ther8th century.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.