China, Han Dynasty, ca. 206 BCE to 220 CE. A small terracotta rooster, mold-made, with fine shaped details of feathers, especially on the tail. Size: 3.95" L x 3.9" H (10 cm x 9.9 cm)

Tomb figures 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, other 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-Private Florida collection acquired in the 1980's

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#119240

Intact, with dirt encrustation and some wear to features.