The Tang era is heralded as a golden age in Chinese history. It witnessed the prosperity of culture, economy, diplomacy and politics under a unified government. Stability within China led to an expansion of foreigners entering and living within the country, bringing with them their own cultural and social habits. People were open to new ideas and beliefs, integrating this learning from new cultures. Art was a particular genre that flourished with this new prosperity. Like other areas of the Chinese world, Tang art was influenced by the influx of new ideas and cultures. The emergence of the ‘Court Fat Lady’, as a popular image of Chinese identity, first made its appearance under the Zhou Dynasty, which briefly interrupted the Tang Dynasty. Women were romanticised and heroised, and even thought to have been liberated during this era. This included having political influence, as seen through the Empress Wu Zetian (AD 624-705). ‘Fat Lady’ figures represented Tang beauty standards, with the fashion of court robes changing to adapt to the fuller figure rather than the previous standard of slimmer body types. The origins of depictions of ‘Fat Ladies’, with their full figures, elaborate loose robes and stylised hair, have been traced back to the imperial concubine Yang Gui Fei (AD 719-756), who was believed to be one of the four great beauties of the Tang Dynasty and the most favoured concubine of Xuanzong emperor (AD 712-756). These figures, interpreted as a celebration of female beauty, are thought to have been decorative and funerary items.
To discover more about Tang tomb figurines, please visit our relevant post: Chinese Tang Dynasty: Terracotta Tomb Attendants.
