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Court Lady

8th century

North China

Earthenware with multicolored lead glazes and traces of pigment (sancai ware)

H. 14 1/8 x W. 5 3/4 x D. 5 1/8 in. (35.9 x 14.6 x 13 cm)

Asia Society, New York: Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection, 1979.113

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The abundant use of glaze colored with cobalt blue in a dress worn by a seated figure of a court lady holding cymbals helps to distinguish this piece as a luxurious example of Tang sancai. Sancai is a Chinese term that refers to wares coated with three colors of glazes. Cobalt, which was imported to China from Iran, was expensive and used sparingly. Both the high-waisted dress worn by the figure and her youthful charm typifies sculptures of women produced during the late 7th century. The two-tone decoration of her high-waisted dress was also fashionable during this period. Both the amber and the blue parts of the gown are decorated with various-sized spots of unglazed clay created by the resist process. There are traces of pigment on her face and hair.