a painted straw-glazed pottery figure of a soldier Early Tang dynasty

standing upright with fists clenched as if to hold a standard, the superbly modeled face with well-defined foreign features, his mouth open and eyes gazing ahead, a studded leather cap atop his head, wearing a short pleated tunic and a breastplate over chain mail, extensive traces of red, green and black pigment throughout, wood stand (2)

Sotheby's New York, 7th December 1983, lot 143.
Thereafter with the present owner.

Inspected under UV light. The figure's right hand clasped at the belly has a small area of fluorescence, possibly epoxy to control a fine and small crack where the fist joins the body. The left side of the skirt with a 2 inch long streak of fluorescence, though there are no breaks or cracks visible to the naked eye. Some areas, including the scalloped fringe of the tunic, with bluish-green encrustation in the creases. The straw glaze with visible craquelure, and losses to the glaze on the chim, arms and scattered areas.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Tang figures of soldiers wearing the same type of leather helmet and body armor can be found in a number of museums and private collections worldwide, however, although of the same model, they can vary in the position of the arms. For example see a figure illustrated in Ezekiel Schloss, Ancient Chinese Ceramic Sculpture from Han through Tang, vol. II, Conn., 1977, pl. 86; another included in Warren E. Cox, The Book of Pottery and Porcelain, vol.1, New York, 1946, pl. 31 (d); and a pair of figures in the Freer Gallery of Art, with their heads turned, included in the Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer Memorial Exhibition, Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C., 1971, p. 38, cat. no. 19, where it is mentioned that 'originally the figures might have held a spear or sword in their clenched fists and have been part of a much larger assemblage'. Notes to the Freer figures further mention two similar figurines excavated from a tomb dated to 706 in Yenxi county, Henan province, in 1957 (ibid., p. 38).   

Compare another related unglazed figure, from the collection of Clarence Reutersward, sold in our London rooms, 6th July 1976, lot 55; and another slightly larger unglazed figure of this type sold in these rooms, 12th June 1984, lot 135.