**First Time At Auction**

East Asia, China, Eastern Han Dynasty, ca. 206 BCE to 220 CE. This alert gray pottery pup is a burial votive figure that demonstrates the ancient Chinese appreciation for our canine friends. He stands four square with erect ears and a curled tail, with some original white and red slip remaining. The ancient Chinese honored dogs throughout their history, appreciating them for their loyalty and trust just as we do. Dogs have served China as hunters, palace guards, and gifts to emperors. During the early dynasties, dogs were interred with their deceased masters and mistresses as it was believed they would serve as guides into the afterlife. Naturalistic terracotta figures like this example with its harness, however, replaced actual animal sacrifices during the Han period. Size: 7.375" L x 5.25" H (18.7 cm x 13.3 cm)

Beyond this, dogs figure prominently in ancient Chinese lore in the form of Pangu, a dog-headed mythological figure who according to legend made his grand entrance from a huge cosmic egg in order to create heaven and earth. On March 3rd, residents annually honor Pangu with a grand ceremony held at an ancient temple in the Tongbai Mountains of Southeast China. There are many versions of the legend of Pangu, as stories were passed down verbally from generation to generation. One of the most intriguing tells us that when Pangu passed away, his breath became the wind and the clouds; his voice became the sound of rolling thunder; one of his eyes transformed into the sun, while the other morphed into the moon. The benevolent dog-headed Pangu was deemed the father of humanity and its emperors. Here we have a special sculptural rendering of a beloved canine, replete with great symbolic meaning from the Han Dynasty.

Provenance: private Hong Kong, China 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.

#127260

Leg reattached. Expected surface wear commensurate with age. Long fissure suggests that it was made form two joined halves. Holes on back for inserting some type of attachment.