HAN DYNASTY

The dance being performed by a similar figure excavated in Baijiakou, near Xi'an, Shaanxi province, now in the Historical Museum, Beijing and included in the exhibition, Mysteries of Ancient China, British Museum, London, 1996, is identified by J. Rawson as the long sleeve dance (changxiu), one of the many dances performed at banquets and court entertainments. A similar figure was sold in these rooms, 25 March 1998, lot 96.

The result of Oxford Authentication Ltd. thermoluminescence test no. C199u73 is consistent with the dating of this lot.