Existing comment:
Mourning Attendant.
China, Tang dynasty, 7th century
Limestone
Tang emperors and nobles were buried in elaborately constructed tombs marked by monumental stone sculptures above ground and lavish furnishings below. Earthenware funerary figures formed a large and important component of the tomb furnishings, but ones in stone, like this are, rare. The sculpture presents a strikingly sensitive depiction of a servant hunched forward, his brows deeply furrowed, eyes downcast, and lips downturned in mourning. The Tang sculptor's ability to describe details realistically is extended even to the attendant's robe, with its collar buttoned at one shoulder, tied headdress, soft boots, and belt tucked under the back. |