A RARE JADE FIGURE OF A FEMALE ATTENDANT SUI – TANG DYNASTY |

rendered standing upright and dressed in long flowing robes detailed with linear folds and splayed around the foot, depicted holding a jar in the left hand and the robe tassel in the right, skilfully portrayed with a soft serene facial expression beneath a top-knot worn to one side, the pale creamy-brown stone with extensive russet patches and dark brown streaks, pierced with an aperture

Good condition.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

This charming figure is notable for the detail the carver has successfully captured, from the linear folds of the robe to the delicate wrinkles on the lady’s face. It closely follows pottery figurines from the Sui and early Tang dynasty, as evident in the hairstyle and slim proportions of the figure, such as one in the Shanghai Museum, published in Liu Liang-yu, A Survey of Chinese Ceramics. Early Wares – Prehistoric to Tenth Century, Taipei, 1991, p. 174 (top); and another, but modelled holding the jar in her right hand, in the David W. Dewey collection, published in Robert D. Jacobsen, Celestial Horses & Long Sleeve Dancers, Minneapolis, 2013, p. 155 (far right), where she is identified as part of a musician group. It is rare to find jade carvings of ladies from the Tang period; compare a carving of a dancing lady, sold at Christie’s London, 7th December 1984, lot 294, and again in our New York rooms, 4th December 1985, lot 7. A similarly columnar figure of an official, attributed to the Tang dynasty, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, is published in Gugong bowuyuan cangpin daxi: yuqi bian [Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum: Jade], vol. 5: Tang, Song, Liao, Jin and Yuan Dynasties, Beijing, 2011, pl. 12.