Women at the Chinese imperial court were highly trained not only in clothes, manners, and etiquette but also in music, dance, and other pleasing arts. They were expected to understand the arts and literature and to perform well themselves, adding to the pleasures and grace of court life. This figure of a female attendant, standing in a respectful pose, is an example of mingqi ("spirit objects") placed in the tombs of deceased royals and nobility to protect and serve them, as well as provide the pleasures they enjoyed in life.

Adapted from

• Anne Bromberg, Label text, All the World's a Stage: Celebrating Performance in the Visual Arts, 2009.

• "A Painted Pottery Figure of a Court Lady," description provided by J.J. Lally & Co. Oriental Art, Dallas Museum of Art Collections Records Object File.