Monumental Han Court Lady - Certificate of authenticity & TL Test

This monumental funerary statuette (75.5 cm) embodies with silent nobility the apogee of Mingqi sculpture in the Han dynasty. Representing a court lady in an attitude of reverence, it is distinguished by its columnar architectural stylization, where the body disappears beneath the breadth of the garment, leaving only the dignity of the posture and the serenity of the face to speak for itself. The expertise of this piece is sealed by an irrefutable scientific validation: a thermoluminescence (TL) test from the QED laboratory, confirming that the last firing of the clay dates back to the Han period (around 2000 years ago). The surface retains stirring vestiges of the original polychromy ("cold paints"), notably the white ceruse on the face, a rare survival that offers a striking contrast with the raw terracotta and excavated concretions.
Features

Object: Large funerary statuette (Mingqi) representing a court lady.

Culture: Chinese, Han Dynasty.

Period: 206 BC - 220 AD

Material: Grey terracotta, remains of polychrome pigments (white, red, black).

Dimensions: Height 755 mm × Width 295 mm × Depth 158 mm.

Condition: Good condition; natural erosion of polychromy; removable head (period technique).

Scientificity: thermoluminescence (TL) test carried out by the QED laboratory (Ref. QED1549/FC-0109), confirming age.

Provenance: Former French private collection (Toulouse), established in the 1980s.

Authenticity: Certificate supplied + TL analysis report.

Historical context
During the Han dynasty, the practice of human sacrifice had long since given way to the burial of terracotta substitutes known as mingqi ("objects of light"). These figures were not mere effigies, but receptacles of souls destined to serve the deceased in the afterlife. The court ladies, depicted with Confucian restraint, symbolized the tomb owner's high social status, ensuring the perpetuation of etiquette and domestic service in the spirit world. The sleek, elongated style reflects the aesthetics of the period, emphasizing line and spirit over realistic anatomical detail.
Formal and material analysis of the work

Morphology and Costume: The silhouette features a typical tapered shape, flaring at the base to ensure stability ("trumpet shape"). The lady is dressed in shenyi, the traditional dress with crossed sides and long sleeves. The hands are clasped and concealed in the sleeves, a gesture of politeness and formal submission. The drape is suggested by minimalist yet fluid lines, sculpting the volume without weighing it down.

Face and polychromy: The face, treated as a full oval, retains a significant layer of white slip (kaolin or rice powder), imitating court make-up of the period. The finesse of the ink-painted features can still be seen: arched eyebrows, tapered eyes and a small mouth highlighted in red. This partial preservation of the pictorial "skin" is a major indicator of quality.

Material and patina: The underlying gray terracotta is visible in places, revealing a dense paste. The whole piece is covered with a homogeneous archaeological patina, made up of earthy deposits and calcareous micro-concretions that attest to a long stay underground.

Technique: Examination of the profiles and the flatter reverse indicate a bivalve casting (front/back) assembled before firing. The head is fitted onto the neck with a tenon, a standard technical feature for pieces of this size to prevent breakage during firing or transportation in antiquity.

Scientific analysis (TL): The QED laboratory report, based on three separate samples (base, scapula, tunic), shows consistent thermoluminescence curves, indicating homogeneous ancient firing. This rules out any hypothesis of modern recomposition (pastiche) from disparate fragments.

Cultural value
This work goes beyond the status of a decorative object to become a scientifically validated historical document. Its monumental size (over 75 cm) places it in the category of important pieces, reserved for the tombs of the elite. It offers the collector twofold satisfaction: the aesthetic emotion of a two-thousand-year-old sculpture of timeless elegance, and the absolute security of investment guaranteed by the physical analysis of the material.
Traceability & guarantees

History: Clear French provenance, from a Toulouse collection established in the 1980s, guaranteeing a long-standing presence on the European market.

Documentation: The object is accompanied by its certificate of authenticity and, crucially, the original QED laboratory thermoluminescence test.

Ref: RWF2DA06BQ