A LARGE (71 CM) PAINTED POTTERY FIGURE OF A LONG-SLEEVE DANCER, HAN DYNASTY

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A LARGE (71 CM) PAINTED POTTERY FIGURE OF A LONG-SLEEVE DANCER, HAN DYNASTY Scientific Analysis Report: A thermoluminescence analysis report issued by Oxford Authentication on 21 July 1998, based on sample number C198t9, sets the firing date of the three samples taken between 1200 and 2000 years ago, consistent with the dating above. A copy of the report accompanies this lot. China, 206 BC-AD 220. Finely modeled and painted in orange-red and mint-green pigments, the female dancer is depicted in a dynamic pose, clad in long-sleeved robes crossed over the chest and secured tightly at the waist. Her left hand clutches the drapery, creating elegant folds that cascade over the legs and reveal the tip of one foot beneath, while the right arm is raised in a graceful gesture, the elongated sleeves flowing freely with the movement of the dance. Dimensions: Height 70.7 cm Music and dance were important elements of court ritual during the Han dynasty, and this elegant figure in her tight-fitting, wraparound robes (shen-i) represents a ‘long-sleeve’ dancer. She captures the stately motion and austere spirit of the ‘sleeve-tossing dance’ style (chang xiu wu) which featured a continuous, controlled and coordinated movement of the long sleeves. The Han dynasty writer Zhang Hong (78-139) described this dance form in one of his poems: Their vermilion slippers danced between plates and goblets And they waved their long, dangling sleeves With a curvaceous, cultivated bearing Their lovely dresses fluttered like flowers in the wind. The present figure belongs to a category of objects traditionally known as ‘mingqi’, a term referring to ancient Chinese burial goods. Mingqi were intended to provide the deceased with necessities and comforts in the afterlife. According to traditional belief, the corporeal soul (po) remained within the realm of the tomb, while the spiritual soul known as ‘hun’ ascended to heaven. To appease and sustain the po, objects that were meaningful or valued during life were placed within the burial chamber. Literature comparison: Compare a closely related pottery figure of a dancer dated to the Eastern Han dynasty, exhibited by the National Centre for the Performing Arts, Melodies Between Mountains and Rivers: Selected Historical Musical Relics from Sichuan and Chongqing Regions, 25 May-17 August 2025, Beijing. Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christie’s New York, 18 March 2016, lot 1473 Price: USD 37,500 or approx. EUR 45,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the related subject, modeling, and decoration. Note the smaller size (50.5 cm).

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