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China

Standing Attendant (Tomb Figurine)

Warring States period (480–221 BCE), 4th or 3rd century BCE
Wood with traces of polychrome pigments
10.1 × 4.6 cm (4 × 1.8 in)

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● On view now — Gallery 133

Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago · verified July 2026

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FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG

In Chu tombs, wood sculptures of men and women were placed in compartments surrounding the coffin. Natural weathering has accentuated the elegant attenuation of these figures. Some were constructed with separate forearms and hands, now lost, that were tenoned into small holes in their sleeves.

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