TANG DYNASTY

Details

A fine group of six painted pottery figures of female musicians
Tang dynasty
The seated musicians similarly dressed in low-cut pleated robes falling in graceful folds around their bodies, with hands positioned to hold their instruments, the hair tied in a double knot, the full faces marked with a lotus petal between the eyebrows, with cobalt blue, green, pink, orange, red, black and white pigment, minor restoration
17.5 cm. - 18.5 cm. high (6)

Special notice

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Lot Essay

For a similar group of musicians with the same hairdo and striped skirts, see Robert Mowry, From Court to Caravan, Chinese Tomb Sculptures from the Collection of Anthony N. Salomon, Harvard University, 2002, pl. 36.
Striped dresses are also to be seen in the paintings in the Zhaoling Museum, originally found in the tombs of Duan Jianbi and of Li Zhen in the area of Liquan near Xianyan (Shaanxi province). For an illustration, see The Cream of Xianyang Relics, Beijing, 2002, pp. 126 - 127.
The dating of this lot is consistent with the result of the Oxford Authentication Ltd thermoluminescence test number C103f17.

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