A Ming Dynasty Palanquin & Attendants

£ 1,200.00

A set of Chinese Ming Dynasty earthenware attendants, together with a green glazed palanquin. Each female figure is styled in a short robe, which is coloured with a vivid green glaze and covers a longer amber dress. Their hair is styled in an elaborate top-knot, tied with a red ribbon. Within their hands each figure holds an offering: these offerings are not specific, but it is likely that liquids (such as wine and water) and fruits were ceremonial requirements. The palanquin is also coloured in a dark green glaze, with dark yellow accents and a black roof.

Date: Circa 1368–1644 AD
Period: Ming Dynasty
Condition: very good, with bright vivid glaze and additional cold-painted detailing still remaining. Some loss of glaze over time.

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These figures would have been displayed amongst the processional group within a tomb, most likely before a sedan chair or palanquin and before the musician figures. They would have served a ceremonial purpose – to announce the arrival of the tomb occupant. The palanquin, likewise, would have been used in the next life, carrying the deceased on his journey.

The Ming dynasty played host to some of China’s most renowned artistic achievements – famed, of course, for its vases, but also works such as Shen Zhou’s ‘Lofty Mount Lu’. The culture’s artistic explosion can be in part explained by the Ming dynasty’s economic success.

To discover more about Chinese terracotta statuettes, please visit our relevant blog post: Terracotta Tomb Attendants.

Weight 3000 g
Country

Culture

Pottery and Porcelain

Region

Glaze

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