Figurine of a Female Court Attendant, 4th-3rd century BCE
Unknown artist, Chinaexpand_more
Wood with lacquer pigmentsexpand_more
Gift of Ruth and Bruce Daytonexpand_more 2008.77
On View in Gallery 215expand_more
Distinct regional styles flourished during the late Bronze Age and one of the most important regarding the production of ancient lacquer was the southern state of Zhu. During the Warring States Period 475 - 221 B.C.E., wooden human figures were placed in Zhu tombs as substitutes for the sacrificial human victims that were often interred in important burials during the earlier phases of the Bronze Age such as Shang (1900 - 1027 B.C.E.) and Western Zhou (1027 - 771 B.C.E.). Such figurines were made to serve and protect the deceased in the afterworld.
These rare, early examples of wooden tomb sculpture can be seen as forerunners to the more durable ceramic tomb figurines of people and animals for which the Han (206 b.c. - 220 C.E.) and Tang (618 - 907) dynasties are famous. Although simply cut and stylized, the statue clearly depicts a type of long, wrap-around robe with deep sleeves worn over baggy trousers.
This figure is part of a group discovered in Changsha in 1936 that was first shown in America at the Yale University Art Gallery in 1939.
Details
- Title
- Figurine of a Female Court Attendant
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- 2008.77
- Curator Approved
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