China, Han Dynasty, ca. 206 BCE to 220 CE. A wonderfully preserved example of a tomb attendant. Mold made, with details all the way around the body, this figure was made to stand inside of a tomb, waiting to assist the deceased in the afterlife. The figure is male, with long hair in a ponytail, painted black, and a cleanshaven face with strong details. He wears a long white robe with enormous sleeves, hiding any suggestion of hands. The robe has red borders and is particularly well detailed around the neck. Size: 6.3" W x 14" H (16 cm x 35.6 cm)

Tomb attendants like this one are part of a class of artifacts called mingqi - sometimes known as "spirit utensils" or "vessels for ghosts". They became popular in the Han Dynasty and would persist for several centuries. Alongside figures like this one were musicians, athletes, animals, structures… Even though they were mass produced, mingqi of the Han Dynasty often show a high level of detail and naturalism. These were designed to assist the po, the part of the soul of the deceased that remained underground with the body while the hun, the other part of the soul, ascended. Caring for the po seems to have taken on a new level of meaning in the Han period, with more elaborate rituals and tomb construction arising.

Provenance: Ex-S. Young Collection, New Hampshire

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#118750

Intact, with much remaining pigment. Signs of wear, root marks, and dirt encrustation over body.