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GROUP OF ACTORS
First half of 8th century CE
Beige earthenware, grey slip, pigments
Cc/29b
H 24,7 cm
Funerary statuette
Provenance: Shaanxi (?)
The actors, in various mimic poses, wear robes that reach down to the knee, with the front flap folded and tucked into the low black belt. Long, flowing sleeves cover the hands, a typical feature of performance clothing. Below the tunic they wear white tubular trousers, which join the pointed, low-cut footwear decorated with small incised strokes. The fat dwarf in the foreground spreads his hands in a theatrical gesture and opens his mouth in the act of declaiming. The other three actors seem to rhythmically punctuate the dwarf's acting.