Tang Musician. Terracotta China. Mingqi Statue. Seniority Test Provided. Asia

Musician in terracotta sitting, one leg folded, playing the Sheng mouth organ. It is polychrome terracotta, enhanced with white slip. Chinese statuette of the Tang dynasty (618 to 907) tested by thermoluminescence the le 23/10/17 (document provided).

Polychromy tending to green, brown ochre, with a detail brought to the textile motifs, featuring trilobed flowers stylized by small touches painted in beige. The use of blush and this high bun model correspond to the fashion of then.


The theme of music is extremely important under the Tang, which gives us a testimony of the instruments used both in civil life and funerary at this period. The mouth organ she plays here is a traditional Sheng.

The atypical posture is remarkable because it contrasts with the usual hieratic symmetry of the Tang statuary. It also recalls the Ardhaparyanka, an attitude of relaxation in the expression of Buddhism.

Height only : 7.48 inches
Height socled : 8.66 inches