Han Earthenware Court Lady. 202 BC-220 AD. The elongated standing figure in a long robe crossed at the front, her arms folded by her waist, traces of pigment with delicately drawn features. (loss at the top of the head).

Size: 15 1/2 x 4 x 2 3/4 in.

#1938 #22

The Han Dynasty of China (202 BC - 9 AD, 25 - 220 AD) was established by Liu Bang and ruled by the House of Liu. A brief interruption by the Xin Dynasty (9 - 23 AD), established by the usurping regent Wang Mang, separated it into two periods, the earlier Western Han and the later Eastern Han. Spanning over four centuries, the Han Dynasty is considered a golden age in Chinese history, and had a permanent impact on Chinese identity in later periods. Artists during this period went from being considered a lower class between field laborers and skilled craftsmen to a much appreciated caste supported by the decorations, paintings, sculptures, and other works they produced for wealthy merchants, court officials, nobles, and royalty. This striking shift was borne particularly from the development of funerary arts, as Han artists and craftsmen decorated the wall bricks lining underground tombs with mural paintings and carved reliefs, and filled them with ceramic figurines to aid the deceased in traveling through the afterlife.