Objet 
6 June 2019
Objet 
553

Chinese

Standing Court Lady

Tang dynasty (618-907 AD)
hand-painted earthenware 11½ h × 4¼ w × 3¾ d in (29 × 11 × 10 cm)
estimate: $4,000–6,000
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provenance: Vanderveen & Vanderveen, Amsterdam | Private Collection, New York
A similar example is held in the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

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This example is likely from the middle of the 8th century and illustrates the female beauty ideals of the era. Earlier depictions of court women in the Tang dynasty were slender and they wore tight-fitting robes, while this figure is fuller and has a loose, softer composition throughout her face, hair and clothing. Rouged cheeks and lips along with flowers adorning her hair show the beautification rituals fashionable at the time, elevating the woman's simple, elegant robes.

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