CAMEL WITH A HEAVY PACK SADDLE

Description The animal, with a robust build and a static pose, holds its head high and slightly to the right: the muzzle is well shaped in detail, and the half-open mouth painted red gives a good idea of the movable lip, giving the animal a natural expression. In contrast, the woolly fur is rendered with bands of compact clay, applied to the muscular head and neck. The humps and the back, covered by a drape, almost disappear under the mass of the pack saddle: on a lateral support of parallel slats (the frame of the Turkish and Mongolian circular curtains?), two enormous saddlebags are placed sideways between the humps. Pieces of rolled fabric and skeins of cloth are tied to the bags, and several other items, including game, containers, and water bottles, hang from the straps holding the load. The items that make up the cargo would represent the offerings to the deceased, rather than the reproduction of the real caravan cargo.