Lot 420. A sancai-glazed pottery figure of a court lady, Tang dynasty (618-907); 15¼ in. (38.8 cm.) high. Estimate USD 20,000 - USD 3,000. Price realised USD 30,000. © Christie's Image Ltd 2008  

The elegant standing figure wearing a green shawl draped around her shoulders that falls in long folds over her clasped hands, her cap-sleeved blouse, long-sleeved under blouse and belted skirt streaked in green, amber and cream glaze that forms stripes in back, her face modeled with small features detailed in black and red and her hair pulled up into a stiff flange-like coiffure, with traces of black pigment. 

Provenance: New York private collection since 1991. 

Note: A sancai-glazed pottery figure of an equally elegant and tall (38.2 cm.) court lady, similarly attired, but with the inclusion of blue rather than green glaze is illustrated by J.-P. Desroches, Compagnons d'éternité, Musée Guimet, Paris, 1996, pp. 232-3. Although the face of the present figure is not as plump, the two have a similar hairstyle, which is identified as a paojiaji. 

Dame de cour, 8e siècle, dynastie Tang (618-907), terre cuite, 38,2 cm, Ancienne collection Michel Calmann, musée Guimet - musée national des Arts asiatiques, MA4013. Photo © RMN-Grand Palais (MNAAG, Paris) / Richard Lambert

Christie's. FINE CHINESE CERAMICS AND WORKS OF ART, 17 September 2008, New York, Rockefeller Plaza