Tomb Figure of a Female Attendant

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Tomb Figure of a Female Attendant

Place of OriginChina

Dateabout 800

DimensionsH: 10 1/4 inches

MediumEarthenware with polychrome pigment

ClassificationCeramics

Credit LineGift of Robyn and David Barrie in honor of Jean and Frank Voss

Object number

2003.17

Not on View

DescriptionA pair (2003.17, 2003.18) of standing female tomb figures (mingqi), each on a small square base. They are made of low-fired, orange-colored earthenware ("polychromed ceramic") and were finished with applied pigments. Traces of orange, cream, brown (for facial features), and red (for lips) pigment remain. The pigment is in a fragile, powdery condition and weakly attached. Both figures are depicted standing, wearing long, flowing gowns, with their hands folded and concealed within wide sleeves. They have full faces and elaborate hairstyles.

Label TextThese two figures represent ladies of the court from China's Tang Dynasty (618–907 CE). They were not created to be seen by the living. Instead, they were mingqi, or "spirit objects," designed to be placed in an aristocrat's tomb. It was believed that mingqi would accompany and serve the deceased in the afterlife, reflecting the wealth and status their owner enjoyed in life. The figures' full faces, elaborate hairstyles, and hands folded inside wide sleeves showcase the fashionable court attire around 800 CE. Made in molds and finished by hand, they still retain much of their original, fragile pigment after centuries of burial.Exhibition HistoryNew York, Throckmorton Fine Art, The Scholar's Eye, 2003, No publication.