A RETICULATED CELADON RUSSET TANG STYLE APSARA PENDANT 元仿唐 青玉带沁色透雕飞天 China, Yuan dynasty L.5.9cm NOTE Apsaras, known in Chinese as Feitian (飞天) or flying celestials, are divine beings adapted from Indian Buddhist mythology. Originally heavenly maidens skilled in dance and music, they were introduced into China along with Buddhism and gradually transformed through Chinese artistic and cultural lenses. From the Northern and Southern Dynasties (4th–6th centuries CE) onward, apsaras became a prominent motif in Chinese Buddhist art. They are especially renowned in the murals and sculptures of the Dunhuang Mogao Caves, Yungang Grottoes, and Longmen Grottoes. Depicted as ethereal figures with flowing ribbons, musical instruments, and graceful postures, they often appear soaring through the sky, scattering flowers or offering music to the Buddhas and bodhisattvas. In Chinese culture, apsaras came to symbolize divine beauty, elegance, and spiritual transcendence. Beyond religious meaning, their imagery has deeply influenced traditional Chinese painting, dance, costume design, and decorative arts, embodying a fusion of sacred expression and aesthetic ideal.