Cleveland Museum of Art
Woman Holding Plum Blossoms
- Date
- mid-700s
- Medium
- earthenware covered in white slip with traces of pigment
- Culture
- North China, Tang dynasty (618-907)
- Department
- Chinese Art
- Institution
- Cleveland Museum of Art
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 accompanied the deceased in the afterlife. Tang aristocratic women had a high degree of freedom, especially in contrast with the Neo-Confucianism of the later Song dynasty.
The authoritative record is held by Cleveland Museum of Art. LinkedCulture surfaces this object and its connections; it does not alter institutional metadata.
Related across collections
Semantically similar works from Cleveland Museum of Art and other institutions.
Court Lady with High Chignon
Cleveland Museum of Art
Court Lady with Tall Headdress: Tomb Figurine
Cleveland Museum of Art
Female tomb figure
Minneapolis Institute of Art
Tomb Figurine in the Form of a Standing, Plump Court Lady with Upturned, Pointed Shoes and an Elaborate Coiffure, Her Hands in a Gesture at Chest Level
Harvard Art Museums
Woman Riding a Horse
Minneapolis Institute of Art
Standing Lady
Minneapolis Institute of Art
Female tomb figure
Minneapolis Institute of Art
Equestrian Female, from the tomb sculpture set: Two Equestrian Figures, One Male with a Tall, Elaborately Embellished Hat, One Female with Hair in a Topknot, Both with Pointed Boots, and Hands Positioned to Hold the Reins of their Standing, Saddled Horses
Harvard Art Museums
Harpist
Cleveland Museum of Art
Standing, Plump Male Court Attendant with Pointed Shoes and Informal Headgear, His Clenched Left Hand Raised to His Chest, His Clenched Right Hand at His Side
Harvard Art Museums
Female equestrian traveler with brimmed hat
Minneapolis Institute of Art
Figurine of a female court attendant
Minneapolis Institute of Art