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

China – Northern Wei Dynasty, 386–534 A.D.
Funerary figure of an assistant or official – Mingqi
Polychrome terracotta
24 × 4.5 × 6 cm

Chinese funerary figure modeled in beige-reddish toned terracotta, probably representing a court assistant or official, in a frontal and 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 ceremonial headdress or cap, a feature especially characteristic of some Northern Wei period official representations. The face, now quite eroded, still preserves its essential modeling.

It is especially interesting to note the abundant remains of reddish pigmentation, mainly on the robe, along with clearly white/whitish traces that probably correspond to the original preparation or decoration. The polychromy of these figures was applied cold after firing, so its partial loss is common.

The open bottom reveals that it is a hollow figure, a common procedure in the production of funerary sculpture of this period. The small hole visible on the frontal area may correspond to a manufacturing element, ancient fastening, or a small loss; without physical examination I would not state which of the three possibilities is correct.

These figures were part of the Chinese funerary equipment or mingqi (冥器) and represented attendants, officials, soldiers and members of the retinue who symbolically accompanied the deceased in the afterlife.

There are very close parallels: Christie’s documents Northern Wei sets of attendants about 27 cm tall, dressed in long tunics and pigmented in red, white and black. Sotheby’s also notes that the slightly elongated proportions and the square headdresses are features 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 general abrasion, losses of polychromy, surface deposits and erosion particularly noticeable on the face and head. I do not see in the photographs any obvious large reconstructive repairs to the body, although 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 testing, C14 testing, lapidary tests, pigment analysis or radiography scans have been conducted to check the integrity of the piece.