T’ang Dynasty Painted Terracotta Fat Lady

Circa	618 AD to 907 AD
Dimensions	12″ (30.5cm) high
Medium	Painted Terracotta
Origin	Shaanxi Province – ‘Xi’an’

This sophisticated woman provided eternal companionship for her lord throughout the afterlife. We can imagine her gracefully dancing or singing a poetical song, two popular customs for ladies during the Tang Dynasty. Such courtiers are described in the numerous love poems written during this era, considered a golden age of Chinese culture. She has her hair styled in a sophisticated coiffure that crown her heads while she wears an elegant long- sleeved robe typical of the time period. A remarkable amount of the original pigment that once decorated the work remains intact, most noticeable on the floral motifs that decorate the dress as well as her rosy cheeks and lips. Such women may represent wives, princesses, or attendants. Her beauty inspires us as we are transported back to another time. This gorgeous sculpture has been to the next world and returned to our modern era to tell us her tale. They speak of the enormous wealth and sophisticated culture of the Tang Dynasty, one of the greatest periods of artistic creation in human history.