Fat Lady; China, Tang Dynasty, AD 618-907.
Polychrome terracotta.
Thermoluminescence certificate enclosed.
Measurements: 50 x 16 x 14 cm.
Terracotta figure, decorated with cold-applied engobes, probably belonging to a funerary trousseau from the Tang period. It shows a lady, clearly of the court and of high class as can be seen by her features, her hairstyle and her magnificent clothes. This type of figurine, known as 'fat ladies' due to the canon of beauty of the time, which was somewhat different from today's, showed courtesans in full dress, highlighting their costumes and elements with the polychrome used, in some cases maintaining a slight curvature on the body that adds elegance.
The Tang dynasty is considered by historians to be a period of splendour in Chinese civilisation, equal or even superior to the Han period. Emerging after a period of despotism under the cruel Yang Di, it was established by Li Shimin who, out of filial piety, put his father on the throne before assuming the role of emperor himself and founding the Tang dynasty. Stimulated by contact with India and the Middle East via the Silk Road, the Tang empire experienced a creative boom in many fields. Buddhism, which had emerged in India at the time of Confucius, continued to flourish during this period and was adopted by the imperial family, becoming an essential part of traditional Chinese culture. The development of the printing press also extended the dissemination of written works, giving rise to the golden age of Chinese art and literature.