Lot Essay
Large glazed horses of the Han Dynasty are rare and no other example of such massive proportion appears to be published
Han pottery tomb figures of large size have been found in numerous cliff burials in Sichuan province, but few of them are horses and are usually of painted pottery rather than glazed, such as the figure of a prancing horse, measuring 114 cm. in height, found at Tianhuishan, Chengdu, Kaogu xuebao, 1958, no. 1, pl. 100, and pl. IX:3 and another, slightly smaller (106cm. high) found in cliff burial no. 13 at Majiashan, Xinduxian, Sichuan, recorded in Wenwu zilao congkan, no. 9, 1985, pl. VI:5.
These pottery horses may be compared, in the sharp modeling of the heads with open mouth and flaring lips, bulging eyes and clipped mane, knotted tail and long neck held nearly upright, to bronze examples, several of which have been recently excavated. The closest to the present lot in both size and modeling was discovered in tomb no. 2 at Heijiashan, Mianyang, in Sichuan and is illustrated in Wenwu, 1991, no. 3, pl. III, and p. 9
Other related, massive painted pottery horses have been sold in these rooms June 4, 1992, lot 208; one with incised inscription, June 3, 1993, lot 159 and another, December 2, 1993, lot 159
The results of Oxford thermoluminescence test no. 866b49 is consistent with the dating of this lot
Han pottery tomb figures of large size have been found in numerous cliff burials in Sichuan province, but few of them are horses and are usually of painted pottery rather than glazed, such as the figure of a prancing horse, measuring 114 cm. in height, found at Tianhuishan, Chengdu, Kaogu xuebao, 1958, no. 1, pl. 100, and pl. IX:3 and another, slightly smaller (106cm. high) found in cliff burial no. 13 at Majiashan, Xinduxian, Sichuan, recorded in Wenwu zilao congkan, no. 9, 1985, pl. VI:5.
These pottery horses may be compared, in the sharp modeling of the heads with open mouth and flaring lips, bulging eyes and clipped mane, knotted tail and long neck held nearly upright, to bronze examples, several of which have been recently excavated. The closest to the present lot in both size and modeling was discovered in tomb no. 2 at Heijiashan, Mianyang, in Sichuan and is illustrated in Wenwu, 1991, no. 3, pl. III, and p. 9
Other related, massive painted pottery horses have been sold in these rooms June 4, 1992, lot 208; one with incised inscription, June 3, 1993, lot 159 and another, December 2, 1993, lot 159
The results of Oxford thermoluminescence test no. 866b49 is consistent with the dating of this lot