Chinese Tang Funerary Figurines – Coloring the Past (75)

Armored Guardian King (Tianwang) Trampling Demon, China, Tang dynasty (AD 618–907), First half of 8th century, Earthenware, glaze, and pigment Art Institute of Chicago, 1970.1069
Armored Guardian King (Tianwang) Trampling Demon, China, Tang dynasty (AD 618–907), Art Institute of Chicago

Why are the heads, crowns, and hands of magnificent Tang Dynasty Chinese tomb figurines so startlingly bare compared to their brilliantly colored bodies? This is an excerpt from my gallery talk “Coloring the Past” in the Art Institute of Chicago from March 9, 2017. This recording comes complete with all the juicy, unscripted, live-action museum gallery accents of background chatter, beeping proximity alarms, and echoing reverb. Please forgive the poor sound quality.

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