Court lady

The first half of the 8th century, known as the High Tang period, affluence and abundance was expressed nowhere better than in the voluptuous figures of the aristocratic women of the time. The epitome of courtly beauty, considered by some to be the model for pottery court ladies was Yang Guifei, the favourite of the Tang emperor Xuanzong. His attention to her was so all-consuming that affairs of state were neglected, allowing a rebellious general named An Lushan to raise troops and mount a successful attack on the capital. During the court’s flight towards Sichuan, Xuanzong’s troops staged a mutiny and forced him to execute Yang Guifei by strangulation.