During the Tang Dynasty, restrictions were placed on the number of
objects that could be included in tombs, an amount determined by an
individual's social rank. In spite of the limitations, a striking variety of
tomb furnishings, known as mingqi, have been excavated. Entire retinues
of ceramic figures - animals, entertainers, musicians, guardians - were
buried with the dead in order to provide for the afterlife. Of the various
types of mingqi, perhaps none are more charming than the beautiful
sculptures of elegant female courtiers. These gorgeous sculptures
represent the idealized woman of the T’ang Dynasty. This sophisticated
lady provided eternal companionship for her lord throughout the afterlife.
We can imagine her gracefully dancing or singing a poetical song, two very
popular customs for courtiers during the T’ang Dynasty, considered a
golden age of Chinese culture. Such ladies are described in the numerous
love poems written during this era, the greatest outpouring of poetry in
Chinese history. This stunning lady wears her hair in an elaborately styled
coiffure. A remarkable amount of the original pigment that once decorated
this work remains intact. Such women may represent wives, princesses, or
attendants. Their 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. She speaks of the enormous wealth and
sophisticated culture of the T’ang Dynasty, one of the greatest periods of
artistic creation in human history. Although she speaks of the past, this
lady in waiting continues to amaze us in the present with her unmatched
beauty and sculptural refinement.
- (CK.0304)
|
