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China

Female Musician

Tang dynasty (618–907), late 7th or early 8th century
Earthenware with polychrome pigments
13.4 × 12.9 cm (5.3 × 5.1 in)

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● On view now — Gallery 131

Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago · verified July 2026

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FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG

Young female musicians who hailed from oasis cities on the Silk Road in Central Asia captivated the Tang court by playing a combination of Chinese and foreign instru-ments. This ensemble features girls playing the cymbals, a vertical flute or oboe, pan-pipes, and an upright angular harp. Two musicians in the back row hold vessel-like instruments that have not been identified.

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