This Northern Wei mingqi boar, dating to the 4th–6th century CE, is modeled in unglazed gray pottery. The figure has a compact body with legs tucked underneath, upright ears, and a rounded snout, capturing the essence of the animal in a simplified, almost abstract form.
Made as a tomb figure, or mingqi, the boar would have been placed in a burial to provide for the deceased in the afterlife. Pigs and boars symbolized abundance and sustenance, making them powerful symbols of security and fertility in the funerary context.
Although unglazed and restrained in detail, the piece reflects the austere yet expressive style of Northern Wei funerary pottery, where form and symbolism outweighed surface decoration. It stands today as a rare survival of early Chinese ceramic tradition, valued for both its cultural meaning and sculptural presence.
