Beschreibung:

China, 7th – early 8th century. Finely modeled terracotta with neatly applied polychrome painting. Provenance: An old Austrian private collection. Galerie Zacke, Vienna, May 24th, 2003. Dr. Mons Fischer, acquired from the above for EUR €30,250. A copy of the invoice from Galerie Zacke, Vienna, May 24th, 2003, is accompanying this lot. A seasoned private collector of modern and contemporary art, Dr. Mons Fischer has also acquired fine Chinese works of art since the 1980s, eventually building one of the most important collections of its kind in Austria. Condition: Some repair and touchups as generally expected from Tang dynasty excavations. Losses, fissures and encrustations. Three drilled holes from sample-taking. Overall very good condition. Scientific Report: A thermoluminescence analysis report issued by Oxford Authentication on February 13th, 2020, based on sample number C120a56, sets the firing date of two of three samples taken at 900 – 1500 years ago. A copy of the report, issued by Oxford Authentication, is accompanying this lot. Weight: 1.6 kg Dimensions: 39.8 cm This depiction of a young and pretty lady is very unusual as Tang dynasty court ladies were famously represented with an emphasis on their stout figure and dominant demeanor. The present figure however exudes youthfulness in a direct manner without putting on airs, the robes reminding rather of an elaborate theatrical costume. A particularly distinctive feature of this figure is the eccentric headdress, showing a design worthy of the most exclusive fashion houses! Two large oval rings with a central bar are attached to two horns forking over the top of her head. This headdress is as black as the lady’s hair and it is hard to discern where one ends and the other begins. The horns could very well still be part of the hairstyle or filled with hair. The face of this enchanting girl – we shall assume she is a young actress – shows a darling expression. Between her bold brows she bears a red drop-shaped mark. The slender eyes curved up towards the temples as well as the small red mouth embedded between her cheeks and chin are particularly beautiful. The fact that she shows some cleavage with accentuated delicate breasts is especially interesting as this does not at all appear in court ladies. This too points toward the comparably wretched world of a theater company, of which there were certainly many during this period of high culture, including sophisticated and noble ones. The robes have an almost fantastical quality. The shoulders and extremely long sleeves are curved outwards, while the upper and central parts of the body are wrapped tightly in garment to emphasize slenderness. The lower third on the other hand widens extensively and shows a skirt with flame-like elements protruding from the sides. The shoes are voluminous, and the young lady will have had her trouble walking around in them. The robes are painted in many different colors and in part also decorated with patterns, arranged florally in a colorful, imaginative, and free manner. Her gesture, too, is unlike that of a court lady, as these are mostly seen with their arms crossed in front of the belly. Her small delicate hands, each with two fingers raised upwards, are meant to convey something – a feeling or a clue – and the figure creates the impression of a performance by a glamorous princess from a legendary tale or poem. Compared to the available literature examples (see below), the present depiction may well be the most beautiful. Literature comparison: Number 106 of THE TSUI MUSEUM OF ART (Hong Kong 1993), shows a similar example described as “Court singsong girl with a ‘double ring’ hairdo” (height 40 cm). In SHAANXI WENWU JINGHUA (Shaanxi 1993), on page 90 is another comparable piece, described as a “Female figure ....” excavated in 1986 in the Changwu region from a Tang grave (height 37.8 cm). Auction result comparison: Compare with a closely related but smaller figure, lacking most of its colo