A Massive Grey Pottery Figure of a Horse

HAN DYNASTY

Details

A Massive Grey Pottery Figure of a Horse
Han dynasty
The powerful figure well modeled as if striding with neck gracefully arched and docked tail raised, the proudly held head slightly turned and modeled with planular cheeks, open mouth, flared nostrils and protuberant eyes under curved brows, the long, pointed ears pricked either side of the hogged mane, the sides molded with the border of a saddle blanket
54in. (137.1cm.) high

Lot Essay

Pottery horses of this kind are likely based on bronze horses of the same period, such as the one excavated in 1990 from Han tomb no. 2, Heijiashan, Mianyang city, Sichuan province, and illustrated with the figure of a groom in Gems of China's Cultural Relics, 1997, no. 83, or the example published in Miho Museum: Southwing, 1997, no. 117, p. 226. Both the bronze and pottery horses share the same crisp modeling and elegant, animated posture.

The result of Oxford Authentication Ltd. thermoluminescence test no. C101b5 is consistent with the dating of this lot.

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