East Asia, China, West Han Dynasty, ca. 206 BCE to 9 CE. A large standing pottery human figure that has a well-sculpted head with naturalistic face and nude body. This man would once have had arms of wood, and clothing made of textiles; these have not survived over time. The head was molded separately and attached to the body, which was carved from a single piece of clay. The facial features would have been painted to highlight details, and traces of a red terracotta is visible under the heavy earthen deposits. Size: 4" L x 2.5" W x 23.75" H (10.2 cm x 6.4 cm x 60.3 cm); 24.5" H (62.2 cm) on included custom stand.
This figure is of the type from the Yangling Mausoleum that was constructed near Xi'an, Shaanxi province, in central eastern China. During the Zhou, Qin, Western Han, and Tang dynasties this was the eastern end of the Silk Road and home to their ruling houses. The Han Dynasty was a period of wealth and stability for China, and the burial places of their rulers reflected this prosperity. Yangling consisted of two massive burial mounds and contained more than 50,000 miniature terracotta figures who reflected the daily life of the Emperor's court, including warriors clad in full armor, like this figure probably was, servants, eunuchs, animals, and models of important buildings like granaries. The creation of all these pottery figures spawned a huge industry and the remains of workshops have also been found near the burial mounds.
This piece has been tested using thermoluminescence (TL) analysis and has been found to be ancient and of the period stated. A full report will accompany purchase.
Provenance: ex-Ashland University Museum, Ashland, Ohio, USA, donated to Ashland University between July 1994 to December 1998
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Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping.
#166034
Condition
Repaired, legs and head reattached with visible break lines and chips along fissures. Missing arms as shown. Softening of details. One TL hole on right foot, and second TL hole on back of head. Earthen and mineral deposits and active flaking when handled.