TANG DYNASTY (AD 618-907)

The present figure's hair is swept up on either side of the head into two knotted buns in a style known as yaji, popular among younger ladies in the Tang dynasty. The elaborate dress with a high waist, low-cut neckline, and relief-decorated with florets also provide a vivid glimpse into Tang-dynasty fashion. The hourglass-shaped stool the figure sits on is modeled after rattan stools from South Asia, further highlighting the active culture and commodity exchange between Tang China and other Asian empires.

A similar sancai-glazed seated figure with comparable hair style, dress, and posture was sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 29 November 2017, lot 2916. Another sancai-glazed seated figure with slightly higher coiffure is illustrated by Shen Zhiyu in The Shanghai Museum of Art, New York, 1983, pl.36.