Ca. 618-907 AD. Chinese Tang Dynasty. A ceramic ‘Fat Lady’ figure. The figure stands facing forward, with one foot angled to the side, and holding a dish in one hand. She wears long-sleeved, loose-hanging robes, and the court dress is embellished with delicately detailed upturned shoes. The original pigmentation is still visible on the figure’s face, dress, and hair. The facial features, such as the eyes, lips, nose, and eyebrows are picked out by delicate painting. An elaborate coiffure crowns the face of the ‘Fat Lady’. The so called ‘Fat Lady’ was a popular attendant figure among the wealthy as during the Tang dynasty luxurious tastes led to a change in the ideal feminine form, from thin to more buxom body types. This piece has been precisely dated having undergone Thermo Luminescence analysis by Ralf Kotalla, an independent German Laboratory. The samples collected date the piece to the period reflected in its style, whilst also showing no modern trace elements. Its TL certificate with full report will also accompany this lot. Good condition.Size: L:485mm / W:190mm ; 4.25kg; Provenance; Property of a Central London gallery, acquired from an established English collection; formerly acquired in Hong Kong, Hollywood Antique Center in the early 1990s.