**Originally Listed At $300**

China, Tang Dynasty, ca. 618 to 907 CE. A pair of hollow pottery tomb attendants; they stand with long robes and upswept hair, arms crossed in front of their chests. Hundreds of pottery figures like this one were carefully placed in the tombs of high-ranking people during the Tang period; one of the most interesting things about them is that they often seem to represent individuals rather than having been mass produced. The Tang Dynasty was a golden age in China, when its control of oases along the Silk Road allowed both the export of Chinese goods and the import of people and ideas from places like India, Persia, and even further afield. The capital city, Changan (modern day Xian) had 2 million inhabitants, making it one of the largest cities in the world at the time, and there was a large class of literati and artisans supported by the government who lived there. This artisan class had the luxury to produce these beautiful unique figures. After a mold was used to form figures like this into basic shapes, artists would then use scrapers and hand-modelling to give them their individuality. Size of each: 2.8" W x 9.2" H (7.1 cm x 23.4 cm)

Provenance: Ex-Rosensteel collection

All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.

A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.

We ship worldwide to most countries and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.

#117727

One has a small area of repair on its back, near its base. Some remaining pigment.