Figure

Figure

Single piece ivory carved figure of woman warrior Wan-Mu-Lan. Figure is standing right arm at waist holding Kwandao left arm at chest level with index finger pointing up and thumb and middle fingers touching. She is wearing helmet with ornate front. Four sections of helmet have fish scale pattern engraved and inked. Crown of helmet has two long pheasant feathers streaming down the back. Her hair is long and in a tail down the back; it is textured and painted black. Her eyes and eyebrows are painted black. Her lips are painted red. She is wearing earrings. She is dressed in a Ming Dynasty military uniform. She has a shawl with cloud motifs over her shoulders and tied at the neck. On the shoulders are "lion" heads with open mouths from which goes the arm armor; a chain of metal with a cloth fringe. An underrobe is visible on lower arms. It has carved flowers. The metal chain armor covers the chest and back. Around the waist a thin belt holds a hip and back skirt and a separate front piece in the shape of a "lion" head. There is an engraving of a phoenix on the back of the skirt. Below this is a skirt of chain mail. Underneath this and seen beneath the knees is another skirt of cloth. A sunrise engraving in front and back. She is wearing military boots. On her left side attached to the belt by two thin cords is a long straight word with double tassel on handle. The Kwan dao blade has cloud motifs and rising sun. A single tassel hangs from the side of the blade. The shaft runs to the bottom and a barbed tip is on the end. The small finger on the left hand is broken off.

1996.023.015