Ca. 206 BC - 220 AD A terracotta court figure of a kneeling female presented wearing the traditional Eastern Han Dynasty court attire, or shenyi, which comprises a long vest, tied to the waist and long, flaring sleeves. The vest is a brilliant white while the waist-tie and trim are picked out in brilliant pink and red. This particular lady has a finely detailed face showing red painted lips, a small nose, bright eyes and delicately arched eyebrows. The figure's long black hair is tucked behind her ears. Court ladies, otherwise known as nüguan, were present in the imperial palaces of all dynasties. Some served as consorts and concubines, but filled roles related to management of the imperial palaceâ's private quarters. During the Han period there were 14 ranks of court lady. Service as a court lady raised the status of a lady in regards to marriage prospects. For a similar see The Minneapolis Institute of Art, Accession Number 2000.208. This piece has been precisely dated by means of a Thermo Luminescence analysis carried out by Ralf Kotalla, an independent German Laboratory. The samples collected date the piece to the period reflected in its style, whilst also showing no modern trace elements. The TL certificate with its full report will accompany this lot.Size: L:400mm/ W: 2300mm ; 4650gProvenance: East Anglian private collection; formerly acquired in the early 1990s in Hong Kong.