Foreign Dancer, China, Tang Dynasty, 618-907. Photo courtesy Vanderven Oriental Art.

Height 34cm. TL tested by Oxford, UK

Sturdily modelled in dark grey pottery, the figure has a wide face with high cheekbones, her hair gathered in double braids behind the ears. With her plump face and intricate hairdo, the figure appears foreign, possibly originating from the Eastern neighbouring regions to China.

Dressed in long, flowing trousers and a small blouse, she looks very similar to the court dancers depicted on the walls of high ranking, Tang dynasty burials. Holding a long scarf with both hands, she appears to perform the much celebrated whirling dance, whose overpowering enchantment often captivated many nobles and officials.

Because music enjoyed such a great popularity among the Tang court, a special section was set up to train both Chinese and foreign female entertainers including Koreans and Indians. Tributes in form of dancing and singing troupes were sometimes presented to the Chinese court from Persian and Central Asian countries. Songs and dances from the Western regions gradually blended within the Han Chinese culture during the Tang dynasty forming an essential aspect of performances.

Comparable foreigners can be found in the Metropolitan Museum (New York); similarly dressed dancers decorate the tomb walls of Tang governors Li Zhen (d.656 AD) and Zhishi Fengjie (d.658AD) in Shaanxi province.

Vanderven Oriental Art. MasterArt at TEFAF 2014 on stand 814. 14-23 march 2014 - http://www.masterart.com/