Foreign dancer

Unknown (Chinese)

Item type:

sculpture

Date of creation:

7th-8th century

Height:

35.0 cm  (13 3/4 in.)

Technique / Medium:

terracotta with polychromy and traces of gilding

Place of creation:

Shaanxi (Zhongguo)

School:

Tang period

Description

The man, with exotic traits (perhaps from India or Afghanistan, as suggested by the clothes recalling the art of Gandhara), seems to perform a slow dance step. The weight of the body rests on his right leg while his left leg is bent, the heel is raised and only the forefoot lightly touches the ground. He holds his left elbow flexed, while the extended right arm is entwined in one of the two scarves crossed over his back.

RIdIM images

Bibliographic references

Santarelli, Cristina. "The “Meidaozhai” Chinese art collection of the Giovanni Agnelli Foundation Turin", Music in Art 30/1-2 (2005) 239-243. RILM 2005-7128.

RIdIM record id

3085