China: Painted terracotta tomb figurines of two ladies in waiting, Tang Dynasty (618-907), 7th century,...

The Tang Dynasty ( June 18, 618-June 1, 907) was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire. The dynasty was interrupted briefly by the Second Zhou Dynasty (October 8, 690-March 3, 705) when Empress Wu Zetian seized the throne, becoming the first and only Chinese empress regnant, ruling in her own right. A fixed group of figures was generally positioned just outside the burial chamber in Tang tombs. This generally consisted of two guardians, two earth spirits and two officials. Tomb figures were always colourfully painted. Gilding was applied only to the most expensive examples.