1.3.02026-07-17figurin, skulpturRådata1025971objektStatens museer för världskultur - Etnografiska museetSMVK-EMFöremålhttp://kulturarvsdata.se/SMVK-EM/objekt/10259711903.11.0073En sittande apa som saknar vänster arm.2, 24, 57, 58, 69, 73, 87, 89: Function: The function of these small enigmatic terra-cotta figures is not ascertained. They are archaeological in nature and no written or other documentation seem to have survived as to their role. Normal suggestions that they are toys can be ruled out, at least for the ones which show monkeys engaged in explicit sexual games, but perhaps not for the small figures depicting camels and other animals. There are also small figures which play instruments. The next suggestion is normally then that they have some kind of ritual use, which is however not ascertained. The interesting thing is that they have only been found in Khotan in the South-western corner of the Taklimakan desert, Xinjiang, China. Then associated to archaeological layers from the period from the 1st to 10th century AD when Khotan (or then Yotkan/Bhorasan) was an early and important, even flourishing, entry point for Buddhism from India. In many respects they are directly related to Kashmir (Gandhara) south of Karakorum. Monkeys are not found in Xinjiang and there are many ornamental traits in these small figures which have their direct correspondence in Gandharan art. Acquisition They were acquired in 1895 by Sven Hedin during his first expedition (1893-97). He visited Yotkan, but the acquisitions were made from local peddlers in the bazaar. Every year the Spring-floods exposed objects of this kind from the archaeological layers of what had once been Yotkan. Why this is a masterpiece These kinds of objects, which are found in a small number of museums in the world, have aroused a lot of attention because of their enigmatic nature, their naive but at the same time, explicit character, and because they point to the fact that cultural transfers from India to China did not only contain Buddhist texts and Gandharan art but also elements of what might be “folk-culture”. History of the Object The early history of these objects, before they were covered by sediments later to be exposed by Spring floods is not known. Sven Hedin acquired them in 1895 and donated the collection the Museum of Ethnography in 1903. (Virtual Collection of Masterpieces, http://masterpieces.asemus.museum/Default.aspx), Arkeologiskt föremål förvärvat i Borazan. Föremålen inköpta av Hedin från lokalbefolkningen. I brev hem av den 10 januari 1896 skriver Hedin: "Yesterday I visited the village of Borazan, where those remarkable Buddhist antiquities are found, but I made practically no discoveries. On the other hand the natives come along daily with their terracotta figures, pots, precious stones with engraved portraits, coins, Buddha images etc. ... and I have acquired a lot of these things cheaply enough. There is an old Tartar, of Orenburg, living here, by the name of Rafikoff, and he speaks Russian fluently. He has paid me several visits, and when I called upon him he presented me with a number of these antiquities." - cit Montell 1936 nr 7., (Datering 100-800 baserad på att en stor del av fynd från Khotan har daterats till denna tid, behöver inte vara korrekt för just detta föremål)., Med världen i Kappsäcken, Med världen i kappsäcken 05, Med världen i kappsäcken 05:05, Samlingsbesök. 2022-06-01. Susan Whitfield, Hedinexpeditionen, första centralasiatiska expeditionen (1893-1897)InsamladHedin, Sven AndersTillverkadYotkan, KhotanUrsprungAsienFunnenKinaUtställdEtnografiska museet, StockholmMed världen i Kappsäckenimage/jpeghttps://collections.smvk.se/carlotta-em/web/image/tn/1932479/image.jpghttps://collections.smvk.se/carlotta-em/web/image/zoom/1932478/image.jpghttp://kulturarvsdata.se/resurser/License#byWestling, Rose-MarieStatens museer för världskulturimage/jpeghttps://collections.smvk.se/carlotta-em/web/image/tn/1932483/image.jpghttps://collections.smvk.se/carlotta-em/web/image/zoom/1932482/image.jpghttp://kulturarvsdata.se/resurser/License#byWestling, Rose-MarieStatens museer för världskulturimage/jpeghttps://collections.smvk.se/carlotta-em/web/image/tn/1932487/image.jpghttps://collections.smvk.se/carlotta-em/web/image/zoom/1932486/image.jpghttp://kulturarvsdata.se/resurser/License#byWestling, Rose-MarieStatens museer för världskulturimage/jpeghttps://collections.smvk.se/carlotta-em/web/image/tn/1932491/image.jpghttps://collections.smvk.se/carlotta-em/web/image/zoom/1932490/image.jpghttp://kulturarvsdata.se/resurser/License#byWestling, Rose-MarieStatens museer för världskulturimage/jpeghttps://collections.smvk.se/carlotta-em/web/image/tn/1932495/image.jpghttps://collections.smvk.se/carlotta-em/web/image/zoom/1932494/image.jpghttp://kulturarvsdata.se/resurser/License#byWestling, Rose-MarieStatens museer för världskulturimage/jpeghttps://collections.smvk.se/carlotta-em/web/image/tn/1932499/image.jpghttps://collections.smvk.se/carlotta-em/web/image/zoom/1932498/image.jpghttp://kulturarvsdata.se/resurser/License#byWestling, Rose-MarieStatens museer för världskulturhttp://kulturarvsdata.se/SMVK-EM/samling/1025818http://kulturarvsdata.se/SMVK-EM/fotografi/1574512http://kulturarvsdata.se/SMVK-EM/fotografi/2134833http://kulturarvsdata.se/SMVK-EM/fotografi/25641515http://kulturarvsdata.se/SMVK-EM/fotografi/25641538http://kulturarvsdata.se/SMVK-EM/exhibition/1434404http://kulturarvsdata.se/SMVK-EM/exhibitionpart/1442207http://kulturarvsdata.se/SMVK-EM/showcase/3536425https://kulturnav.org/0ad1c6a7-81c9-4e3c-8381-4923074b95bahttp://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q1367http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q7380http://kulturarvsdata.se/SMVK-EM/name/1001508http://kulturarvsdata.se/SMVK-EM/objekt/html/1025971http://kulturarvsdata.se/SMVK-EM/objekt/xml/1025971http://kulturarvsdata.se/SMVK-EM/objekt/rdf/1025971