The period is often described as the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, when China was fragmented into three states controlled by three prominent warlords. And it was this backdrop that the story of this figurine unfolded.
Amber Figurine of a Child on a Ram and Stone Plaque with the Inscription 血珀骑羊俑及“白画骑羊儿一”石牌
Amber/Stone | Cao Wei (220-265 AD) | Dimensions – Figurine: H: 3.3cm, L: 3.5cm; Stone plaque: H: 8.3cm, W: 4.8cm, Thickness: 0.8cm | Luoyang Museum Collection, Excavated from the Cao Wei Period’s Tomb at Lizhu Village, Yibin District, Luoyang, 2015 琥珀｜曹魏（公元220-265年）｜俑 – 高3.3厘米，长3.5厘米；石牌 – 高8.3厘米，宽4.8厘米，厚0.8厘米｜洛阳博物馆藏，2015年洛阳市伊滨区西朱村曹魏大墓出土
The brownish red figurine of a child on a ram is made of amber of the best quality. With the hole on it, it can be assumed that the figurine should be a stringed ornament like a pendant. It was retrieved from a tomb from the Cao Wei period that is believed to be the tomb of Princess Cao Shu 平原公主曹淑, beloved daughter of Wei Emperor Cao Rui 曹叡.
The tomb was found to be raided multiple times before its discovery in 2015. Most of the artefacts were gone, but luckily for us, this little amber pendant was left unnoticed and remained together with its description. They were found together with other toy-like items scattered around the main burial chamber, and a princess’ hairpin. This led to the conclusion that the tomb could be that of the Princess Cao Shu, whom death at full month was recorded and the burial decorum specially approved by her father Emperor Cao Rui.
The stone plaque with the Chinese inscription of Bai Hua Qi Yang Er Yi “白画骑羊儿一” is the label for the figurine. Bai Hua 白畫 means a way of carving without filling pigments. Qi Yang Er 騎羊兒 means a child on a ram, and Yi 一 means one.
The stone plaques with inscription excavated from this tomb are similar to those excavated from the Mausoleum of Cao Cao 曹操, a great politician in Chinese history, with the Chinese inscription of 魏武王常所用 (“For Use of Wei King Wu) in Anyang.
These relics in Luoyang have great academic importance on researching the ancient naming system and burial customs.
About Chinese National Treasure Series
中華國寶系列 Chinese National Treasure series feature specific artefacts and relics from museums all around the world that are historically significant to be considered a National Treasure. The series covers the 5,000 years of Chinese civilisation from Neolithic periods before the Xia dynasty (c. 2070-1600 BC) to modern day.
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