RARE CHINESE SONG DYNASTY TERRACOTTA BRICK

Ca. 960-1279 AD. Song Dynasty. A fine terracotta tile with a beautifully carved high relief figure playing a tambourine on a red background. The figure wears a long, flowing robe that preserved traces of blue pigment and an elaborate headdress. A well-preserved handprint can be seen on the reverse. The Song Dynasty, which ruled most of China between 960 and 1279 AD, was responsible for many innovations in the fine arts, for the introduction of the first banknotes (paper money), and for the first known use of gunpowder. For more information on the Song dynasty, see Kuhn, D. (1987). The Song Dynasty, 960 to 1279: A new society reflected in its culture. Acta Humaniora, Weinheim.Size: L:300mm / W:292mm ; 4.9kg. Provenance: Property of a North London gentleman; previously acquire on the UK/European art market in the 1990s.