HAN DYNASTY

Details

Two painted grey pottery figures of equestrian soldiers
Han Dynasty
Each figure mounted astride with hands positioned to hold reins, wearing breast plates above short tunics with padded white collars, the head covered with tightly fitted helmets, the sturdy horses standing four-square with heads high and alert, cropped manes and duck tail, traces of red, black and white pigment, some restoration
29.6 cm. high (2)

Special notice

Christie's charge a buyer's premium of 20.825% of the hammer price for lots with values up to NLG 200,000. If the hammer price exceeds the NLG 200,000 then the premium is calculated at 20.825% of the first NLG 200,000 plus 11.9% of any amount in excess of NLG 200,000.

Lot Essay

Compare the group of stylistically similar, but larger figures, dated
to the early Western Han, unearthed in 1965 at Yangjiawan, near Xianyang, Shaanxi province. Burials containing large numberts of mounted cavalrymen and foot soldiers were found in the vicinity of the tombs of the first Han emperor, Gaozu, and the emperor Jingdi at Yangjiawan. See Wenwu, 1966, no. 3, pl. 1-4 and Wenwu, 1977, no. 10, p. 17.

The dating of one of the horses of this lot is consistent with the result of the Oxford Authentication thermoluminescence test no. C199m30.

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