Probable Yuezhi soldier in red jacket and trousers, from Xinjiang 2nd C. BCE

January 16, 2023

Probable Yuezhi soldier in red jacket and trousers, from Xinjiang 2nd C. BCE - 2nd C. CE

"The Great Yuezhi are located about seven thousand li [2,910 km] north of India. Their land is at a high altitude; the climate is dry; the region is remote. The king of the state calls himself "son of heaven". There are so many riding horses in that country that the number often reaches several hundred thousand. City layouts and palaces are quite similar to those of Daqin [the Roman Empire]. The skin of the people there is reddish white. People are skillful at horse archery. Local products, rarities, treasures, clothing, and upholstery are very good, and even India cannot compare with it."

— Wan Zhen, The Yiwu Zhi (3rd century CE)

Probable Yuezhi soldier in red jacket and trousers, from Xinjiang. Embroidered in Hellenistic style, with motif of a centaur, 2nd C. BCE - 2nd C. CE. Sampul, Ürümqi Xinjiang Region Museum. I tried to find as high-res a version of this as I could. It would appear both his eyes and hair are based on a similar blue threading, yet his eyebrows seem to be based on a reddish thread.