Trove of terracotta figurines discovered in ancient Chinese tomb


Archaeologists from the Datong Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology have reportedly unearthed a large trove of ancient terracotta figurines in the Shanxi province of China, according to state-run publication China Daily.To get more news about women in ancient china, you can visit shine news official website.

The figurines, found in the tomb of upper-class individuals who lived during from the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534CE), depict a variety of dancers, domestic workers and labourers, providing a historically important glimpse into daily life of the period. The archaeological team stated that this discovery constitutes a watershed moment in the study of funerary culture. The female musicians depicted in this terracotta group will also provide a coveted link between ethnic costuming and national culture.

The Northern Wei Dynasty marked a nearly 150-year period of political turbulence and social reform, defined by political recentralisation, ethnic integration and the construction of a portion of what would become the Great Wall of China. Many of the finest known examples of ancient Taoist and Buddhist art known to contemporary audiences date from this period, including the Unesco World Heritage Sites known as the Longmen Grottoes and Yungang Grottoes.
The four great beauties from Chinese antiquity, regarded as the most stunning women of their era, date respectively from the Spring and Autumn (722-481 BC), Three Kingdoms (220-280 AD), Western Han dynasty (206 BC-9 AD) and Tang dynasty (618-907 AD) periods. Above and beyond their sublime appearance, which was enough to amaze even nature, the four Chinese beauties forged a reputation through the influence they had on the rulers of their time, and, as a result, the history of China. Legend has it that three of them caused their kingdoms to weaken and all came to a mysterious end.

Blancpain has decided to interpret the tale of these emblematic figures from ancient China on a set of dials, using all the artistic techniques expertly practiced in its Métiers d'Art workshops. It is in Le Brassus, in a country setting nestled in the heart of the Vallée de Joux, that Blancpain’s artisans perpetuate ancestral skills transmitted from generation to generation. Be it champlevé enamel, engraving, shakudō, marquetry or enamel painting, each artistic craft is promoted on one piece of this special series, while all four watches feature a painted enamel beauty.