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HOME :
Chinese Art :
Archive : T'ang Sculpture of a Lady-in-Waiting
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T'ang Sculpture of a Lady-in-Waiting - H.937
Origin: China
Circa: 618
AD
to 906
AD
Dimensions:
10.5" (26.7cm) high
Collection: Chinese
Medium: Painted Terracotta
Additional Information: SOLD
$6,300.00
Location: United States
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| Description |
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.
These gorgeous women reflect the appreciation
of the female form during the T’ang 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 very popular
customs for ladies during the T’ang Dynasty,
considered a golden age of Chinese culture.
Such courtiers are described in the numerous
love poems written during this era, likely the
greatest outpouring of poetry in Chinese history.
She is composed and refined, holding both her
hands folded together over her stomach. Her
hair has been elegantly styled into an intricate
bun that crowns her head. A remarkable amount
of the original pigment that once decorated this
work remains intact, most noticeable in her red
lips and black eyes and eyebrows. Her dress is
painted burgundy, covered by her peach-colored
robe. 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 T’ang Dynasty, one
of the greatest periods of artistic creation in
human history. Although she speaks of the past,
this lady in waiting continues to amaze us in the
present with her unmatched beauty and
sculptural refinement.
- (H.937)
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