A Seated Figure of a Han Court Dancer

Western Han Dynasty, China, 206 BCE–220 CEPainted terracotta figure of an elegant lady portrayed in a seated pose with elongated sleeves characteristic of ceremonial court dance during the Han Dynasty. The figure wears flowing robes covered in a white slip with traces of colorful pigment. Figures of this type were created as mingqi burial objects for elite tombs, celebrating music, performance, and courtly culture while accompanying the deceased in the afterlife. The graceful expression and stylized drapery embody the most elegant type of Han funerary art.