Statuette

Statuette "mingqi" of a court lady. China, Han dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD).
Terracotta in white and red engobe, standing. Movable head.
It presents cracks.
Measurements: 73 cm (height).

Figure Mingqi of round bulk made in terracotta representing a standing monk dressed with a wide mantle, crossing his hands on his forehead in a serene attitude. It is decorated with cold-applied engobes in various colors, mainly white and orange for the clothes, brown, pink for the flesh tones, black and red. Mingqi (sometimes referred to as "spirit objects" or "ghost pots") were Chinese grave goods.

The Han dynasty ruled China between 206 B.C. and 220 A.D., more than four centuries during which the political, social and economic structures of China were consolidated, leading the country to the most glorious stage of its history. Regarding the art of this time, it is still eminently funerary, although it reflects the very high artistic level that will be reached both in the capitals and in the provinces. These preserved objects provide us with information on the daily life and customs of the time, since the art becomes much more mundane than the bronzes of the Zhou and Shang periods. The structures of the tombs also changed: the Shang tombs were vertical, while the Han tombs were built as subway palaces. They were decorated with reliefs stamped with scenes from the life of the deceased, and a new material was incorporated as an artistic support, lacquer. However, the most famous today is the production of Han ceramics, in terracotta and decorated with cold-applied engobes, mainly black and red.