Han Dynasty TL Tested Terra-cotta Court Lady Statue (206BC - 220AD)

Huge Han Dynasty Terracotta figure Of A Court Lady. TL Test conducted by Ralf Kotalla Laboratory in Germany. Report included. Height: 29...

Tang Dynasty polychromed fat lady with child in arm. TL Tested Terracotta, pottery with traces of orange and green paint Sui to Tang Dynasty (581-618) Measures: Height: 20.2 inches (51cm) Width: 9.45 inches (24cm) Guaranteed Authentic with corresponding TL Thermoluminescence Test conducted by Artemis Testing Lab Included in the sale of this item. Condition: Excellent with loss to pinky and wear commensurate of age. This rare and outstanding ceramic court attendant was made during what many consider to be China’s Golden Age, the T’ang Dynasty. It was at this point that China’s outstanding technological and aesthetic achievements opened to external influences, resulting in the introduction of numerous new forms of self-expression, coupled with internal innovation and considerable social freedom. The T’ang dynasty also saw the birth of the printed novel, significant musical and theatrical heritage and many of China’s best-known painters and artists. The T’ang Dynasty took control in 618 AD, when the Li family seized power from the last crumbling remnants of the preceding Sui Dynasty. This political and regal regime was long-lived, and lasted for almost 300 years. The imperial aspirations of the preceding periods and early T’ang leaders led to unprecedented wealth, resulting in considerable socioeconomic stability, the development of trade networks and vast urbanisation for China’s exploding population (estimated at around 50 million people in the 8th century AD). The T’ang rulers took cues from earlier periods, maintaining many of their administrative structures and systems intact. Even when dynastic and governmental institutions withdrew from management of the empire towards the end of the period – their authority undermined by localised rebellions and regional governors known as jiedushi –the systems were so well-established that they continued to operate regardless. The artworks created during this era are among China’s greatest cultural achievements. It was the greatest age for Chinese poetry...

We are delighted to offer for sale this exceptionally important and highly collectable museum quality original Chinese bronze ritual wine vessel and...

Superb sculpture of a laying doe from the Chinese Han Dynasty (206BC-220AD). Remainders of polychromic paint, namely red, symbol of good fortune and joy as well as the season of summer, and green, symbol of vigor and vitality and the season of spring. Mounted on base. A similar sculpture in bronze is kept at the Met Museum with the following description " A low bed, small table, and screen were often the only furnishings in a Han-dynasty room. The floors were generally covered with mats kept in place with weights in the shape of single animals, fighting beasts, or entertainers." Condition seen in pictures. Dimensions in cm ( H x L x l ) : - Sculpture : 35 x 40 x 10 - With base : 45.5 x 44 x 15 The Han Dynasty ruled China from 206 B.C. to 220 A.D. and was the second imperial dynasty of China. It is known for its promotion of Confucianism as the state religion and opening the Silk Road trade route to Europe, permanently altering the course of Chinese history. Han Dynasty art and inventions like paper still influence the world today. From the Han Dynasty to the present, deer can be found in many materials and media—rock crystal, nephrite, ink on paper, porcelain, cloisonné enamel, jade, bamboo root, textile, bronze, etc.—alone or in groups, among trees and rocks and in various positions. They appear on everyday objects, from boxes to incense burners, incense holders, lamps, mirror holders and the droppers scholars used when they wrote. A symbol of longevity and grace in Chinese mythology, the word deer is pronounced lu, a homonym for emoluments—favors granted to officials. They therefore represent wealth, nobility and success in imperial examinations (civil service exams for selecting candidates for the state bureaucracy in Imperial China). Deer were the faithful companions of Shu Lao, the god of longevity, and the goddess Magu. They were reputed to live long and to be the only creature able to find the mushroom of immortality, linghzhi. Although its spots are different, deer are sometimes confused or associated with stags, a Manchu hunting trophy whose antlers served to make prestigious furniture. (La Gazette Drouot, Claire Papon) For the colours found on this piece, in Chinese culture, red symbolizes good fortune and joy. Green, symbolizes the spring when everything is brimming over with vigor and vitality. The Han Dynasty (206 B.C. to 220 A.D.) continued the Qin Dynasty’s use of dark colours, but incorporated red. During the earlier years, or Western Han Dynasty, ordinary people wore red while court dress was black. Shoes were red in color. The clothing worn for sacrificial rites was black edged with red. In the later Eastern Han Dynasty, red symbolized the dynasty’s “fire Virtue” and became predominant. Court dress was red. Sacrificial rites called for a red-edged white layer under robes with red socks...