Ancient Chinese, Tang Dynasty Terracotta - Test TL Kotalla – 36.7 cm – Polychrome terracotta musician - 36.7 cm

THE MUSICIANN — A GESTURE HANGING IN SUSPENSE FOR THIRTEEN CENTURIES:

China, Tang dynasty (618–907). Terracotta figure of a female musician with polychrome decoration, accompanied by its Kotalla laboratory thermoluminescence report.

Tall, expressive, this musician captivates with the delicacy of her face, the remaining colors of her costume and the balance of her composition. The movement of the arms, brought back to the chest, animates the silhouette and seems to fix a moment of musical interpretation.

Standing on an integrated base, she wears a long skirt whose vertical folds emphasize the finesse of the body. A short garment in green tones covers her shoulders, while the sleeves feature molded pleats. At the bottom of the robe appear the ends of the shoes, which add depth to the whole.

The face preserves painted details particularly attractive: arched eyebrows, eyes outlined in black and a small mouth enhanced with red. The hair, pulled into a high asymmetrical bun, prolongs the elegance of the silhouette.

The musician holds in front of her bust a circular instrument identified as a cymbal in the information transmitted by the previous owner, an English collector. Her other hand remains raised, in a gesture that gives the figure a attentive and living presence.

MUSIC AND REFINEMENT UNDER THE TANG:

This sculpture belongs to the tradition of mingqi (明器), funerary objects intended to accompany the deceased. The figures of musicians evoked entertainments and the lifestyle of the elites, recreated symbolically for the afterlife.

Under the Tang, music and dance occupied an important place in aristocratic culture. These representations also provide valuable testimonies on the costumes, hairstyles and instruments of their era.

SCIENTIFIC ANALYSIS — KOTALLA LABORATORY:

The piece is accompanied by thermoluminescence report no. 69B210224, dated July 8, 2024.

The laboratory concludes an ancient firing, with an antiquity estimated at 1,300 years, within a margin of ± 14.5%, compatible with attribution to the Tang dynasty.

The mentioned sampling was taken from the back of the head. In accordance with the laboratory’s precisions, the conclusions concern the material sampled and do not constitute an assessment of the object as a whole.

PROVENANCE:

Former British private collection. Acquisition in Hong Kong in the early 1990s, according to information provided by the previous owner, English collector.

DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT:

Height: 36.7 cm
Width: 10.68 cm
Depth: 9.69 cm
Weight: 1.263 kg

These measurements were taken on the piece.

CONDITION:

Surface wear, color variations and loss of polychromy visible in photographs. The face, the costume and the remaining colors retain good legibility.

Photographs of the whole, details and the underside are an integral part of the description. The thermoluminescence report does not constitute a statement of absence of restorations.

AUCTION COMPARISON — CHRISTIE’S, NEW YORK:

A Tang terracotta standing musician, painted, 35.8 cm tall, was sold at Christie’s in New York in March 2025, lot 1044, for a hammer price of USD 31,500, against a estimate of USD 15,000–18,000.

This specimen came from Yamanaka & Co., in Japan, before 1935, then from the Xiao Meng Lou collection.

The comparison concerns the musical subject, the slender silhouette, the material and the almost identical format. The Christie’s exemplar, however, holds a drum and presents a different hairstyle and provenance. This reference constitutes a stylistic comparison and is not a valuation of the proposed sculpture.

Source: https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-6524493

DOCUMENTATION AND SHIPPING:

The sculpture will be delivered with its Kotalla thermoluminescence report.

Extremely careful packaging will be prepared, with protections adapted to the fragility of terracotta and particular attention paid to protruding parts, to ensure its transport under the best conditions.

ARS ANTIQUA