This large earthenware figure of a lady is one of the larger sizes of the so-called ‘fat ladies’ made during this period. She is dressed in a long robe and has an elaborate hairdo. Traces of pink pigment are still visible on her cheeks. She would have been part of a group of burial figures made for the tombs of the ruling elite. The custom of making ‘mingqi’ or burial wares was an ancient practice. It was believed that these wares were necessary for the deceased in the next world. Large groups of attendants and other figures were also a display of wealth and social status.
