East Asia, China, Han Dynasty, ca. 206 BCE to 220 CE. A large, ceramic standing human figure with no arms and a well sculpted head with naturalistic face and hair, painted a tan color all over, aside from the face and hair, which have a great deal of remaining black pigment. This figure would once have had arms of wood, and clothing made of textiles; these have not survived over time. We know from similar examples that the heads were molded and attached to the bodies, which were carved from a single piece of clay. The face of this figure is particularly striking, bony, with high cheekbones and a fierce gaze. Size: 4" W x 23" H (10.2 cm x 58.4 cm); 24.75" H (62.9 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 Rochester, Michigan, USA collection

All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.

A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.

We ship worldwide to most countries and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.

#126571

Both legs have been repaired at the hip and knee. Loss to toes of one foot. Nice archaeological encrustations on surface that do not obscure the details of the face.