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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 in a lopsided bun that crowns her head.
Her sumptuous long sleeved dress equals the
beauty of her sophisticated hairstyle. Traces of a
floral motif that decorated her costume remain
intact, as does the pigment on her 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.2066)
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