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Harpist

mid-700s
(618-907)
glazed earthenware
Overall: 32.1 cm (12 5/8 in.)
Edward L. Whittemore Fund 1931.450
Location: 239 Chinese Ceramics and Metalwork
Public Domain
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Did You Know?

The angular harp, like the one held by this musician, occupied a prominent position in the court orchestras by the mid-eighth century.

Description

After four centuries of political turmoil and social disorder, a reunited China during the first half of the Tang Dynasty (618–906) was an age of unprecedented prosperity and vitality. Figurines placed in Tang tombs give a vivid glimpse of everyday life. The elegant earthenware ladies in various hairstyles, costumes, and activities suggest the fashions of the time.

This lady musician is seated on a circular plinth, playing a harp balanced on her right thigh. The plump face has well-defined features, with straight nose, pursed lips, and round cheeks. Her hair is drawn into a coiled chignon over the forehead. A long, high-waisted robe flows down to her shoes' upturned tips.
Harpist

Harpist

mid-700s

North China, Tang dynasty (618-907)

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