Ancient Chinese, Tang Dynasty Terracotta Court lady / funerary assistant in polychrome terracotta, mingqi - 21 cm

Female funerary figure / lady attendant (mingqi)
China, probably early Tang dynasty, 7th century CE, with possible Sui antecedent
Molded and hollow terracotta, with engobe and cold paint.

The figure represents a standing court lady or attendant, wearing a long, head‑to‑toe almost columnar robe. One arm hangs down along the body while the other is flexed in front of the torso, a gesture habitual in representations of funerary attendants.

The most characteristic element is the elaborate tall hairstyle, made with several superimposed volumes and originally painted black. This type of coiffure, together with the slender, elongated figure, fits particularly well with late Sui and early Tang female representations, especially the 7th century. Christie’s notes precisely that early Tang female figures retain slender bodies before, during the 8th century, the much more voluminous female ideal of high Tang is imposed.

The surface preserves a noticeable amount of decoration: black pigment in the hair, remnants of white engobe on the face and neck, red/orange on the robe, and greenish tones at the upper part and sleeves. A Tang example of 27.6 cm catalogued by Christie’s preserves a comparable range of orange‑red, black, blue and turquoise pigments and also has TL compatible with Tang dating.

Construction

The photograph of the base is very useful: it confirms a hollow terracotta structure, characteristic of numerous mingqi. Irregularity of the opening and the internal texture of the paste are evident.

I do not see sufficient photographic indications to call it sancai: I would catalog it as polychromed terracotta, not a glazed piece.

Conservation status

Here one must be quite precise in the auction description. It shows wear and significant losses of polychromy, deposits, abrasions and small erosions. A line/crack around the neck joint is also visible, which could correspond to an ancient fracture and subsequent reinstatement or repair; it would be advisable to check it physically before stating that the head has been reinserted.

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