Sui Dynasty – Tang Dynasty Statuette of a Female Horse Rider
£ 1,295.00
A finely moulded Sui Dynasty-Tang Dynasty ceramic statuette depicting a court lady riding a horse. The female figure sits astride the horse, with one arm outstretched at her side, and the other raised across her chest, concealed by the loosely draping sleeve, in an elegant gesture. She is portrayed wearing a white-pigmented sleeveless coat, known as beizi. The long white coat reveals black-pigmented, flaring sleeves of her inner attire. Her beizi is sculpted with triangular-shaped openings at the bottom in low relief on both sides, exposing the undergarment. The fringe of her beizi is portrayed by multiple vertical incisions, symbolising the fabric’s folds. Her hairstyle, popular among noble women of the Tang Dynasty, is styled in a high bun like a mountain peak, secured at the back in a circular design. Delicate facial features including elongated eyes, a dimpled mouth, and a rounded chin, are emphasised by black and red pigments. The horse is portrayed standing on a rectangular stand, with a long tail, cropped mane and facial features clearly expressed in black pigments and further modelling. Details of the bridles, harness and saddle are modelled in relief with green and brown pigment. The original speckled pigmentation survives largely intact, and there is a hole under the horse’s belly for firing process. As is customary for larger attendant statues, the figure’s head is detachable.
Date: Circa 581-618 AD
Period: Sui Dynasty - Tang Dynasty
Provenance: From an Ex Cotswold, UK, collection, 1970-1990.
Condition: Very fine condition. It is complete with fine, clear features. Paint faded from age, some signs of wear such as scratches, chips and earthy encrustations to the surface. There is damage and chipping to one half of the figure's hairstyle at the back.
In stock
Grave goods were an important status symbol in ancient China, with their purpose to accompany the deceased in their travels through the afterlife. Figures of this type are called mingqi (冥器) in Chinese and usually depict servants and court attendants, soldiers, musicians and dancers, and different animals. The size and number of the figures in a grave depended on the rank of the deceased. As in life, attendant figures were supposed to stay nearby their master, waiting to fulfil the desires and needs of the deceased. Such figures were made for the service and entertainment of the owner, ensuring that their journey in the underworld was a happy one. Ceramic tomb attendants seemed to have first appeared during the Western Han Dynasty. However, it is during Tang China that the cultural tradition of displaying wealth in elite tombs reached its peak, with an increased production of ceramic statuettes, such as this fine example. Interestingly, the attire worn by the figure, known in Ancient China as beizi, was worn by both men and women during the Sui and Tang Dynasties, while the hairstyle is typical of court ladies.
To discover more about Chinese terracotta statuettes, please visit our relevant blog post: Terracotta Tomb Attendants.
