China, Western Han Dynasty, ca. 200 BCE. A graceful pottery female attendant holding her arms in front of her body. She is made from light grey earthenware and exquisitely painted. Her hair is black, her face white with black eyes and eyebrows and bright red lips. She wears a garment with a white interior, a black-outlined V-neck, and a beautiful lavender overcoat with thin strokes of darker purple paint used to create decoration along its surface. A round opening that passes through her arms indicates that she likely once held something - perhaps a musical instrument or a staff. Size: 4" W x 12.55" H (10.2 cm x 31.9 cm)
The Han Dynasty was a period of wealth and stability for China, and the burial places of their rulers reflected this prosperity - inside of burial mounds, hundreds and sometimes thousands of miniatures figures were placed, recreating the daily life of the Emperor's court or a noble person's world. The creation of all these pottery figures spawned a huge industry and the remains of workshops have also been found near the burial mounds. This beautiful example gives us an idea of what an elite Han woman would have looked like.
Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection, purchased in 1992
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#150861
Condition
Intact with much of the original pigment remaining as shown. Nice deposits on surface. Great preservation of details.