Ancient Asia, Africa and Oceania

Reproduction patinated by hand. Mold made from an imprint of the original work. The hair of this pipa player is combed into a shell-shaped chignon (luoji) to flatter her fine features. She is sitting on a rectangular terrace and is holding an instrument imported from the Kucha region, a kind of guitar with four or five strings that are plucked either with the fingers or, as in this model, with a plectrum. She is dressed in a low-cut bolero and a long skirt, a costume that comes from the same region and was very fashionable in China during the 7th century. The terracotta is completely