China - Funeral Procession With Palanquin - Ming Dynasty - Tl

Polychrome terracotta set consisting of a miniature palanquin accompanied by five figuresof servants: four bearers and a standard-bearer. This ensemble belongs to the category ofmingqi, intended to reconstitute the procession and status of the deceased in the afterlife. The group consists of four figures arranged at the corners, depicting bearers, framinga central palanquin of architectural form. This features a rectangular structure openin front, surmounted by an overhanging roof with a rounded top. A fifth figure, distinct byits posture and role, embodies a standard-bearer or procession officer, reinforcing theceremonial dimension of the ensemble. The figures rest on stepped bases and adopt astable posture, arms folded in front of the body, suggesting the carrying or accompanying of the palanquin. Thefaces are treated in a stylized manner, with calm, slightly idealized features, topped withtypical conical headdresses. The green lead glaze dominates the garments,contrasting with the faces left in clear slip. Original removable heads, afabrication technique characteristic of the great mingqi of the Ming dynasty. The palanquin also featuresocre highlights and incised geometric decoration on some sides. The palanquin is placed on a removable base carried by the four bearers. This type of scene is fully in keeping with the Ming funerary tradition, where mingqi representscenes from daily or ceremonial life, transposed into the afterlife. The theme of thepalanquin is particularly significant: it evokes the movement of the deceased or his social rank,the procession being a marker of status. The presence of a standard-bearer reinforces thisprotocol and hierarchical dimension. This type of mingqi group, by its large size and composition around a palanquin withbearers, directly evokes a person of high rank, probably a notable or aofficial, whose status was to be reproduced in the afterlife.

Origin:China
Era:Ming Dynasty (1368-1644)
Dimensions:Character height: 41 cm.
Conditions:Very good condition. Glaze wear, particularly on edges and elements sharp. Presence of concretions and burial deposits consistent with age important. The ensemble retains excellent legibility of detail.
Provenance:Private Belgian collection.

Science at the Service of Art: What is a Thermoluminescence Test (TL)? In the world of high antiquity, the expert eye is paramount, but science provides absolute certainty. For this suite of objects, the expertise was carried out by the QED laboratory. The scientific principle:Thermoluminescence is a physical dating method that measures the energy stored in crystalline minerals (such as quartz or feldspar) contained in clay since its initial firing.

• The geological clock: When the object was fired, the heat "reset" the clay's energy counter.
• The accumulation: Since that day, the object has absorbed a small amount of natural radioactivity from the soil.
• The revelation: In the laboratory, a micro-sample is heated to high temperature. The light then emitted (thermoluminescence) is proportional to the time elapsed since the last firing.