Dancing Apsaras

A small standing female figure, an apsara, leans back with her head turned upward and one arm raised, holding a cloud-shaped ornament. Her other arm bends across her body, and her long robe falls in layered folds to a carved rocky base. The painted surface is worn, but the modeling of the garments remains clear.

Look closer: A carved wave-like pattern covers the stepped base beneath the figure.

Artist

Unknown

Date

900s

Medium

dry lacquer

Source

The Cleveland Museum of Art

Size

2383 × 3400 px

Credit (appreciated, not required for public-domain works): The Cleveland Museum of Art, John L. Severance Fund