East Asia, China, West Han Dynasty, ca. 206 BCE to 6 CE. A large, self-standing pottery human figure with no arms and a well-sculpted head with naturalistic face and hair, painted all over in a tan color, aside from the face, which is red. This figure would once have had arms of wood, and clothing made of textiles; these have not survived over time. The head was molded separately and attached to the body, which was carved from a single piece of clay. Size: 4" W x 23.75" H (10.2 cm x 60.3 cm)

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 Ventura County, California, 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.

#129199

Repaired from multiple pieces, with repairs evident on one foot, ankle, knee, and above the waist. The torso has been restored with overpainting of the restored areas. Face is in very nice condition.