PAIR OF CHINESE TANG DYNASTY TERRACOTTA DANCER FIGURES

C. AD 618 and 907. Tang Dynasty. A delicate Tang Dynasty pair of female dancer figures. Both wearing long flowing gowns with the hands uncovered. One dress is a deep orange, whilst the waist sash which separates the skirt from the bodice is of light colour. The other one is dressed in a light green, whilst the waist sash which separates the skirt from the bodice is of red colour. Their upper body are slightly bend to the side, with one arm up in the air, indicating motion. The dancers are carefully modelled, with the hair done up, pink cheeks, red pursed lips, delicate brows and smiling eyes. Dance as an art form reached its peak in China during the Tang Dynasty, which is now known as the golden age of Chinese music and dance. Indeed, during this time The Great Music Bureau was created as a means through with to train musicians and dancers for the imperial court. Such terracotta figures were made for the service and entertainment of the owner, ensuring that their journey in the underworld was a happy one. Terracotta tomb attendants seemed to have first appeared during the Western Han Dynasty. However, it is during Tang China that the cultural tradition of displaying wealth in elite tombs reached its peak, with an increased production of terracotta statuettes. The Tang Dynasty was a thrilling time in Chinese history, when trade flourished along the Silk Routes and unified China was the richest country on earth. Chang'an (now Xi'an) was the Tang capital, and it was one of the most cosmopolitan cities on earth, filled with foreigners who had travelled to China to trade; the influence of foreigners and talented native Chinese, combined with the economic prosperity brought on by trade and the new religion from India, Buddhism, created a powerful cultural milieu where poetry and other forms of art flourished. Provenance: Private collection of an Oxford professional, formed in the 1970s-1990s on the UK art market. Size: L:Set of 2: 275 - 285mm / W:130mm ; 1.8kg