Outstanding tall pottery "mingqi" representing a court lady looking into a hand mirror, also called "FAT LADY" Dating back to the TANG dynasty (618-907) Red pottery coated with white slip and well preserved black, green and orange pigments. This elegant lady is 51cm tall. She is standing erect with both tiny hands uncovered, one of which is holding a bronze hand mirror.  Finely modeled features. Plump cheeks with traces of white slip and pink pigment.  Voluminous green robe, elegantly draped, revealing only the top of her lotus-form shoes. Her skin tone is pale – a traditional measure of social elites, who did not expose themselves to the sun's rays – which contrasts strongly with her red lips, dark eyebrows and small, enquiring eyes and retrousse nose. She is undoubtedly well-nourished, another marker of social class, and her rounded jawline and cheeks run smoothly with the loose contours of her body. During the Tang dynasty, it is said that the most famous of court ladies, Yang Guifei, the consort of Emperor Xuanzong (712-756) set the fashion for ladies of ample form. Clothing and fashions accommodated Yang’s more mature figure and for the first time, long, loose fitting robes with high necklines became court fashion, accompanied by elaborate hairstyles. This set comes with a TL certificate from Ralf Kotalla, consistent with the Tang dating. Provenance : Belgian private collection Important information. The seller guarantees that he is entitled to ship this lot. It will be safely sent by FEDEX. Free door-to-door delivery in Belgium. Bidders outside Europe, please bear in mind that this is a tall and heavy item to ship. Important information. The seller guarantees that he is entitled to ship this lot. The seller will take care that any necessary permits will be arranged. The seller will inform the buyer about this if this takes more than a few days.