A large Pottery Tomb Figure of a Corpulent Lady. TL tested.

A Large Pottery Tomb Figure of a corpulent Lady with retained color. Tang Dynasty (618-906). Pottery Tomb Figure of a Corpulent Court Lady, her hands are covered by her sleeves, signifying that she does not do any manual labor. This form represents the style of wealthy women of the period, with long flowing drapery, plump figure, elaborate coiffeur, and sweet face. The original trend for the plump figure and elaborate coiffeur was set by a concubine to one of the Tang Emperor, her name was Yang Mifei. The stance of the figure, with a deep curve of the back and extended foot is a very fine example of the desired posture for a court lady. There is a good deal of original paint remaining on the face, hair and clothing. The figure is in excellent condition with no previous breaks or restorations. The dating of this piece is consistent with the results of a thermoluminescence test from Oxford University, Test #666126. Provenance: E & J Frankel LTD. Oriental Art. New York. Collection of Mr and Mrs. Gelfand. Pacific Palisades, Ca.