Lot 64E
China, Tang Dynasty, ca. 618 to 907 CE. A tall glazed ceramic figure of a man who is almost entirely bald, with just a fringe of hair depicted around his head. He stands with one hand raised, the other held at his waist; his clothing is well-depicted, meeting at a knot at his waist. A rich chestnut glaze colors much of his clothing, with white and pink mineral pigments visible in the unglazed areas. Comes with custom stand. Size: 2.9" L x 3.6" W x 11.3" H (7.4 cm x 9.1 cm x 28.7 cm); height on stand: 12.1" (30.7 cm)
Hundreds of pottery figures like this one were carefully placed in the tombs of high-ranking people during the Tang period; one of the most interesting things about them is that they often seem to represent individuals rather than having been mass produced. The Tang Dynasty was a golden age in China, when its control of oases along the Silk Road allowed both the export of Chinese goods and the import of people and ideas from places like India, Persia, and even further afield. The capital city, Changan (modern day Xian) had two million inhabitants, making it one of the largest cities in the world at the time, and there was a large class of literati and artisans supported by the government who lived there. This artisan class had the luxury to produce these beautiful unique figures. After a mold was used to form figures like this into basic shapes, artists would then use scrapers and hand-modelling to give them their individuality.
Provenance: private Karen E. Cox collection; previously private Dorothy Browning Johnson collection, collected before 1950
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#123321
- Condition: lntact, with fine remaining glaze.
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