Woman Holding Plum Blossoms
Unknown Artist
mid-700s
Medium
earthenware covered in white slip with traces of pigment
Dimensions
43.8 × 16.5 × 12.2 cm
Classification
Sculpture
Department
Chinese Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
John L. Severance Fund
Accession Number
1987.13
About this artwork
Tang figurines placed in the tombs give a vivid picture of everyday life. Images of elegant ladies in various hairstyles, costumes, and activities suggest the fashion of the time. This example of a plump and flamboyant lady is a common type found in mid-8th-century tombs, especially in the cosmopolitan city of Xi'an. Together with other figurines—court officials, musicians, dancers, hunters, foreign travelers, horses, camels, guardian warriors, and guardian animals—such tomb sculptures accompani...