A CHINESE PAINTED GREY POTTERY FIGURE OF A DANCER,Western Han dynasty (206 B.C. - 8 A.D.). Well modelled in standing position with one forearm raised and hands hidden within the long sleeves of the tight fitting layered robes wrapped around the body to accentuate its silhouette and the graceful pose, the face carved with delicate features and the hair pulled back behind the ears and gathered into a knot on the back, with traces of white pigment - 21 in. high. Estimate $8,000-12,000
Note:
The overall outstanding quality of this figure would indicate that it was made for the tomb of a high-ranking noble, wearing the traditional shen-yi, this graceful figure is caught in a pose while performing the long sleeve dance (changxiu), one of the many dances performed at banquets and court entertainments. Compare a similar figure excavated in Baijiakou near Xi'an, Shaanxi province, illustrated by J. Rawson, Mysteries of Ancient China, New York, 1996, p. 206, no. 108. A similar figure sold at Christie's New York, September 16,1999, lot 266.
