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Untitled, figure of flying apsara
16 1/2 in. x 9 in. (41.91 cm x 22.86 cm), Chinese
Object Type:
Decorative Arts, Utilitarian Objects
Creation Place:
Asia, China
Medium and Support:
lacquered wood
Credit Line:
Carleton College Art Collection
Accession Number:
1997.466
This apsara, a flying heavenly attendant, was once part of a sculptural composition in a temple intended to evoke the supernatural realm of the Buddha. Its animated posture and energetic gestures, as well as its billowing ribbon-like garments and ornate jewelry, all serve to emphasize the divine, aerial nature of this being. Now highly weathered, its surface was once bright with gold leaf and colored lacquer.
Keywords
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This object has the following keywords:
Chinese*,
decorative arts*,
lacquer (coating)*,
lacquerware*,
sculpture (visual work)*,
three-dimensional*,
wood (plant material)*
- Chinese - Describes works created by the people of the same name living in China.
- decorative arts - Refers to works that are primarily utilitarian in form or function, but that have aesthetic value provided by the design, decoration, or embellishment. They may include ceramics, furniture, and other household or utilitarian objects. They are distinct from "fine arts," which were traditionally considered to require more extensive training and were restricted to the media of painting, sculpture, drawing, and architecture.
- lacquer (coating) - Term applied broadly to paint or varnish that dries with a high gloss, to coating made from shellac, or to any coating that dries by the evaporation of solvent. In most lacquers resin is dissolved in a volatile solvent or a drying oil and hardens by evaporation.
- lacquerware - Objects, usually made of thin wood, that are coated and decorated with layers of lacquer, often accompanied by inlays of other substances such as mother-of-pearl and metal.
- sculpture (visual work) - Works of art in which images and forms are produced in relief, in intaglio, or in the round. It refers especially to those objects that retain the quality of being tangible objects or groups of objects. It refers particularly to art works created by carving or engraving a hard material, by molding or casting a malleable material, or by assembling parts to create a three-dimensional object. It is typically used to refer to large or medium-sized objects made of stone, wood, bronze, or another metal. Small objects are typically referred to as "carvings." As works become more diffused in space or time, or less tangible, use specific terms, such as "mail art" or "environmental art."
- three-dimensional - Having, or appearing to have, the three dimensions of length, width, and height.
- wood (plant material) - The principal tissue of trees and other plants that provides both strength and a means of conducting nutrients. Wood is one of the most versatile materials known.
Additional Images
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Dimensions
- overall Dimensions: 16 1/2 x 9 in. (419 x 229 mm)