Lot 59A
East Asia, China, Han dynasty, ca. 206 BCE to 220 CE. A wonderful pottery horse, rendered in fine, naturalistic detail. The noble steed presents a thick body with skillfully delineated hooves and musculature. His long snout extends forward displaying a slightly open mouth and flared nostrils beneath bulbous eyes and pointed ears. A short mane rises from the curve of his long neck. During this period of Chinese history, the best horses came from the Fergana Valley in Central Asia - present day Afghanistan. Those horses were acquired through conquest and sent to Chinese emperors as tribute and owning such a steed was a status symbol. When elite individuals passed away, pottery horses modeled after the Ferghana chargers were often created to accompany the deceased in the afterlife! Size: 12.4" L x 3.3" W x 11.6" H (31.5 cm x 8.4 cm x 29.5 cm)
When elite individuals passed away, large "walking" terracotta Fergana horses displaying an immense degree of attention to detail, like this example, were created to carry the deceased into the hereafter. The horse, second only in importance to the dragon, was believed to possess magical powers. The number of horses owned by an individual ensured his high status in the afterlife.
Tomb statues like this horse 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: private Vero Beach, Florida, USA collection, acquired before 2003
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#177409
- Condition: Professional repair and restoration with repainting over break lines. Expected minor chips, nicks, and abrasions, but otherwise excellent presentation with nice remaining pigments and detail.
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