East Asia, China, Han Dynasty, ca. 206 BCE to 220 CE. A lovely pottery stick figure depicted standing upright with an elongated form. Bare-chested, his legs are draped in a flared skirt or kilt. Stickman or stick figures like this example were originally dressed in fabric clothing and mounted with movable wooden arms which attached to the holes beneath each shoulder. These figures were only used by royal families and were placed as armies to help and protect the owner in the afterlife. Size: 4.3" W x 23.6" H (10.9 cm x 59.9 cm); 24.9" H (63.2 cm) on included custom stand.

This figure is of the type from Yangling. Yangling Mausoleum was constructed near Xi'an, Shaanxi province, in central eastern China, which during the Zhou, Qin, Western Han, and Tang dynasties was the eastern end of the Silk Road and home to their ruling houses. The Han Dynasty was a period of wealth and stability for China, and the burial places of their rulers reflected this prosperity. Yangling consisted of two massive burial mounds and contained more than 50,000 miniature terracotta figures who reflected the daily life of the Emperor's court, including warriors clad in full armor, like this figure probably was, servants, eunuchs, animals, and models of important buildings like granaries. The creation of all these pottery figures spawned a huge industry and the remains of workshops have also been found near the burial mounds.

Provenance: private Constance McCormick Fearing estate, Montecito, California, USA, acquired before 2004

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#180980

Missing wooden arms. Feet have been professionally reattached with some chipping along visible break lines, and light abrasions to surface. Otherwise, very nice presentation with good remaining pigments.