During the 7th century, at the beginning of the Tang dynasty (618-907AD), lithe athleticism was prized in women. They rode, hunted on horseback, and played polo, influenced by the traditions of northern nomadic tribes. Folklore has it that the voluptuous and ample figure of the legendary Yang Guifei, the concubine over whom Emperor Xuanzong (r.712-756AD) lost an empire, changed the standard of beauty in China and gave rise to the fashion for "Fat Ladies". The 60 year old emperor became besotted with Yang, originally the wife of one of his sons, during the 740’s. However, frescoes in the tomb of Crown Prince Zhanghuai (2nd son of the Empress Wu) painted in the year 711 show clearly that "Fat Ladies" were already in vogue at court at this earlier date. Thus, the Yang story, although romantic, appears apocryphal.
This penchant for the Rubenesque is more likely to have been due to the aesthetic influence of Buddhist sculpture. The scholar monk Dao Xuan wrote in the late 7th century that "Sculptors made images like dancing girls so that every court lady came to imagine that she resembled a Bodhisattva." During the early part of the dynasty, Buddhist figures were given a straight posture and relatively svelte lines in continuation of the styles current in the Northern Dynasties (317-581AD) and the Sui (581-618AD) periods. However, by the 3rd quarter of the 7th century, sculptures of Bodhisattvas had become increasingly fleshy due to Indianising trends in Buddhist art, and they were generally portrayed in the "tribhanga" pose where the hips are flexed towards the Buddha so that the body takes on an S-shape. It is not difficult to imagine that women who resembled this ideal should come into fashion, given the comments of Dao Xuan, their beauty celebrated in the ceramic figurines of "Fat Ladies" ubiquitous in 8th century burials, standing in their elegant S-shaped poses.
These figurines, molded in grey, red, or cream terracotta, were covered in white slip and painted with pigments to simulate raven hair, crimson lips, pink cheeks, beauty marks, and exquisite floral-patterned silks which were draped about ample bodies in the high-waisted fashions of the day. Their hair was piled into elaborate confections, which varied from the double "Mickey Mouse" chignon to the high "Cockscomb" style, while their feet were squeezed into elegant slippers with long, upturned toes. All these details were recorded in stunning sculptures that resemble three-dimensional fashion plates. A long scarf or stole usually drapes over the back and comes forward to hang elegantly over the sleeves, although in those fashionable times, there were many ways to wear this accessory. Rarer are the Fat Lady riders and figurines in Sancai ("three-color") ware, while rarest of all are Sancai Fat Lady riders. Figures holding birds, dogs, children, mirrors or other accessories are particularly prized by collectors. Varying in size from a few to over 80 centimeters, the most common type stands with her hands clasped together within her sleeves. Their swaying stance and undulating lines render these "Fat Ladies" classics of Tang art and objects of irresistible beauty.