Tomb Figurine in the Form of a Standing, Plump Court Lady with Upturned, Pointed Shoes and an Elaborate Coiffure, Her Hands in a Gesture at Chest Level

Gallery Text

After the collapse of the Han dynasty in 220 CE, China entered a long period of disunion in which the north was occupied and at times ruled by ethnic minorities. The custom of producing ceramic tomb sculptures nevertheless carried on throughout this period, reaching its pinnacle in the Tang dynasty (618–907), one of the most peaceful, prosperous, cosmopolitan eras in China’s history. The Tang capital of Chang’an (present-day Xi’an, Shaanxi province) attracted numerous foreign traders, pilgrims, and goods, as the famed overland trade route known as the Silk Road terminated in this city. Large sets of ceramic sculptures representing the horses, camels, and foreign merchants that frequented northern China have been recovered from burials. Tang ceramic funerary retinues were especially elaborate, featuring fierce armored guards, proud court attendants, and aristocratic equestrians engaged in leisurely pursuits—all serving to demonstrate the high status of the tomb occupant. Large monster masks such as the one displayed here have been discovered on the lintels of tomb entrances, presumably as a means to ward off evil.

Identification and Creation

Object Number: 2003.202
Title: Tomb Figurine in the Form of a Standing, Plump Court Lady with Upturned, Pointed Shoes and an Elaborate Coiffure, Her Hands in a Gesture at Chest Level
Classification: Sculpture
Work Type: funerary sculpture
Date: mid 8th century
Places: Creation Place: East Asia, China
Period: Tang dynasty, 618-907
Culture: Chinese
Persistent Link: https://hvrd.art/o/146585

Physical Descriptions

Medium: Molded, reddish buff earthenware with traces of cold-painted pigments over white ground
Dimensions: H. 38.8 x W. 13.5 x D. 12 cm (15 1/4 x 5 5/16 x 4 3/4 in.)

Provenance

Recorded Ownership History: Anthony M. Solomon, New York (by 2003), gift; to Harvard University Art Museums, 2003.

Acquisition and Rights

Credit Line: Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Gift of Anthony M. Solomon
Accession Year: 2003
Object Number: 2003.202
Division: Asian and Mediterranean Art
Contact: am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu
Permissions: The Harvard Art Museums encourage the use of images found on this website for personal, noncommercial use, including educational and scholarly purposes. To request a higher resolution file of this image, please submit an online request.

Publication History

Virginia Bower, From Court to Caravan: Chinese Tomb Sculptures from the Collection of Anthony M. Solomon, exh. cat., ed. Robert D. Mowry, Harvard University Art Museums (Cambridge, Mass., 2002), p. 114, cat. no. 114
Zoe Kwok, The Eternal Feast: Banqueting in Chinese Art from the 10th to the 14th Century, exh. cat., Princeton University Art Museum (New Haven, 2019), pp. 142-143, cat. 28

Exhibition History

32Q: 1600 Early China II, Harvard Art Museums, Cambridge, 11/16/2014 - 10/19/2018; Harvard Art Museums, Cambridge, 02/08/2019 - 08/01/2019
The Eternal Feast: Banqueting in 10th-14th Century Chinese Art, Princeton University Art Museum, Princeton, 10/19/2019 - 02/16/2020

Subjects and Contexts

Google Art Project

Verification Level

This record has been reviewed by the curatorial staff but may be incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of Asian and Mediterranean Art at am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu

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2003.202: Tomb Figurine in the Form of a Standing, Plump Court Lady with Upturned, Pointed Shoes and an Elaborate Coiffure, Her Hands in a Gesture at Chest Level