Female Figure of a Court Entertainer Dancing (Head)
Unknown Artist
100s CE
Medium
Pottery with traces of color pigment
Dimensions
23 × 13 × 14 cm
Classification
Ceramic
Department
Chinese Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Gift of Barbara S. Robinson and Family
Accession Number
2023.98.b
About this artwork
During the Han era, tombs of the elite were provided with sculpted renditions of their earthly entourage, such as guardians or musicians, to signify their status in the afterlife. The female dancer with elaborate hairdo held by flower ornaments raises one arm holding her wide sleeve with one hand, while the other lifts her robe to reveal what appears to be a drum underneath her garment, her face smiling, all in a gesture of an entertainer.