Ancient Chinese, Northern Wei Terracotta Court lady / funerary assistant in polychrome terracotta, mingqi - 24 cm

China – Northern Wei Dynasty, 386–534 AD
Funerary figure of an assistant or official – Mingqi
Terracotta polychrome
24 × 4.5 × 6 cm

Chinese funerary figure modeled in terracotta of a beige-reddish tone, probably representing a court assistant or official in a frontal, solemn pose.

The figure presents a deliberately elongated and rigid silhouette, dressed in a long robe that falls vertically to the feet. The head is covered by a tall headdress or ceremonial cap, an element especially characteristic of some representations of officials from the Northern Wei period. The face, now considerably eroded, retains its essential modeling.

It is especially interesting to note the preservation of abundant reddish pigment remnants, mainly on the robe, together with clear/whitish traces that probably correspond to the original preparation or decoration. The polychromy of these figures was applied cold after firing, so partial loss is common.

The open lower part allows us to observe that it is a hollow figure, a customary procedure in the production of funerary sculpture of this period. The small hole visible in the frontal area may correspond to a manufacturing element, old attachment, or small loss; without physical examination I would not claim which of the three possibilities is correct.

These figures formed part of the Chinese funerary equipage or mingqi (冥器) and depicted servants, officials, soldiers and members of the entourage who symbolically accompanied the deceased in the afterlife.

There are very close parallels: Christie’s documents Northern Wei ensembles of assistants about 27 cm tall, dressed in long tunics and pigments in red, white and black. Sotheby’s also notes that the slightly elongated proportions and the square headdresses are characteristics of the Northern Wei sculptural tradition, especially from the late 5th century.

Condition

I would say it presents a reasonably good archaeological state: wear and generalized abrasion, losses of polychromy, surface deposits and erosion, especially noticeable on the face and head. I do not see in the photographs large obvious reconstructive repairs of the body, though this should be checked with ultraviolet light or direct inspection. The preservation of the red is a favorable point.

Catawiki disclaimer: This object has been dated based on style by the seller. No further tests, such as TL, C14, lapidary tests, pigment analysis or radiography scans, have been conducted to check the integrity of the piece.