terracotta figure; tomb figurine
Historical term referring specifically to terracotta figures buried in Qin dynasty tombs in China. Most commonly encountered in the compound 兵馬俑 (へいばよう, 'terracotta warriors').
See also: 俑を作る
The terracotta warriors were unearthed from the tomb of Qin Shi Huang.
俑は古代中国の埋葬習慣を理解する上で貴重な資料だ。
Tomb figurines are valuable materials for understanding ancient Chinese burial customs.
From Chinese 俑 (yǒng), originally referring to wooden or clay figures buried with the dead. The exact derivation is uncertain; the character is composed of 亻 (person) and 甬 (a phonetic component).