General Information: 

This statue depicts the dance of a woman based on a Han dynasty poem:

“Their long sleeves, twirling and twisting,

fill the hall;

Gauze-stocking feet.…taking mincing steps,

Move with slow and easy gait

They hover about long and continuous, as if

Stopped in mid-air;

Dazed, one thinks they are about to fall..”

This work is from the Western Han Dynasty and is dated around the 2nd century BCE. This is Earthenware colored with pigment and has been listed as “Tomb Pottery”. This statue depicts the new wave of humanist art that is a characteristic difference from the Bronze Age. This statue was found in the tomb of a high ranking individual and is actually part of a group of many pottery attendants. Many pieces found in tombs are characterized as “spirit goods” which are models of things that the deceased might need in the afterlife. 

Eli’s Observations:

Due to the age of this work a surprising amount of pigment still remains on it. The places that seem to missing pigment the most is the dancer’s skin, which can easily be explained as the color used for the skin being much less vibrant than those of her clothes and hair. As I’ve previously stated this work is labeled as “tomb pottery” which makes sense since many statues similar to this one were placed into tombs since they were believed to provide nourishment and amusement to the soul of the tomb occupant.