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During the Tang Dynasty, restrictions
were
placed on the number of objects that
could be
included in tombs, an amount determined
by an
individual's social rank. In spite of
the
limitations, a striking variety of tomb
furnishings, known as mingqi, have been
excavated. Entire retinues of ceramic
figures -
animals, entertainers, musicians,
guardians -
were buried with the dead in order to
provide for
the afterlife. Of the various types of
mingqi,
there is perhaps none more charming than
the
beautiful sculptures of elegant female
courtiers,
sometimes known as “Fat Ladies” for
their fleshy
faces. These gorgeous women reflect the
appreciation of the female form during
the Tang
Dynasty.
This sophisticated woman provided
eternal
companionship for her lord throughout
the
afterlife. We can imagine her gracefully
dancing
or singing a poetical song, two popular
customs
for ladies during the Tang Dynasty. Such
courtiers are described in the numerous
love
poems written during this era,
considered a
golden age of Chinese culture. This
stunning
lady wears her hair in an elegant
coiffure
arranged into a large fan-shaped bun
that
crowns her head. Her sumptuous long
sleeved
dress matches the beauty of her
sophisticated
hairstyle. Remnants of the original
pigment that
once decorated this work remain intact,
most
noticeably on her rosy cheeks and red
lips. Such
women may represent wives, princesses,
or
attendants. Their beauty inspires us as
we are
transported back to another time. This
gorgeous
sculpture has been to the next world and
returned to our modern era to tell us
her tale.
She speaks of the enormous wealth and
sophisticated culture of the Tang
Dynasty, one of
the greatest periods of artistic
creation in human
history.
- (DL.2077)
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