12th Century Terracotta Head Of A Woman

12th century terracotta head of a woman, Song Dynasty (from 960 to 1279). This small, delicately molded head of a woman wearing an elaborate headdress is mounted on a cube-shaped base, and was likely part of a full-figure statue. What is notable about this piece is that, despite the fact that is close to 900 years old, it retains most of its original polychrome painted decoration, including the woman's brown hair and the ornate details on her headdress. There appears to be the figure of a bird on the top of her coiffure, with the painted plumage still visible. While some of the paint has been worn away in spots, this piece is in remarkably good condition for its age.