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THBChinese Han Redware Head of a Horse
Lot 32b
About Seller
Artemis Gallery
686 S Taylor Ave, Ste 106
Louisville, CO 80027
United States
Selling antiquities, ancient and ethnographic art online since 1993, Artemis Gallery specializes in Classical Antiquities (Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Near Eastern), Asian, Pre-Columbian, African / Tribal / Oceanographic art. Our extensive inventory includes pottery, stone, metal, wood, glass and textil...Read more
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Live Auction in Progress ... Currently on Lot Estimate:
$400 - $600
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| $0 | $25 |
| $300 | $50 |
| $1,000 | $100 |
| $2,000 | $250 |
| $5,000 | $500 |
| $10,000 | $1,000 |
| $20,000 | $2,500 |
| $50,000 | $5,000 |
| $100,000 | $10,000 |
| $200,000 | $20,000 |
About Auction
Live
By Artemis Gallery
Jun 24, 2021
Set Reminder
2021-06-24 10:00:00
2021-06-24 10:00:00
America/New_York
Bidsquare
Bidsquare : VARIETY SALE | Ancient & Ethnographic Art
https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/variety-sale-ancient-ethnographic-art-7119
Featuring classical antiquities, ancient and ethnographic art. Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Etruscan, Near Eastern, Asian, Pre-Columbian, Native American, African / Tribal, Oceanic, Spanish Colonial, Russian, Fossils, Fine Art, more! All legally acquired, legal to sell. Satisfaction guaranteed. Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com
Featuring classical antiquities, ancient and ethnographic art. Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Etruscan, Near Eastern, Asian, Pre-Columbian, Native American, African / Tribal, Oceanic, Spanish Colonial, Russian, Fossils, Fine Art, more! All legally acquired, legal to sell. Satisfaction guaranteed. Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com
View Full Catalog (415)
- Lot Description
East Asia, China, Han Dynasty, ca. 206 BCE to 220 CE. A fine mold-made pottery horse head displaying a lively visage with bulging eyes, a pronounced snout with flared nostrils, and an open mouth revealing his teeth and likely neighing. Presenting a neatly manicured mane, the head is constrained by a slender bridle that arches over the eyes and travels back to the neck. Size: 6.125" L x 2.25" W x 6.375" H (15.6 cm x 5.7 cm x 16.2 cm); 7.875" H (20 cm) on included custom stand.
During this period of Chinese history, horses came from the Ferghama Valley in Central Asia - present day Afghanistan. When elite individuals passed away, "walking" terracotta Ferghama 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.
Funerary sculptures like this piece 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, and more. 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. According to scholars, caring for the po took on a new level of meaning in the Han period, with more elaborate rituals and tomb construction arising.
Provenance: private Santa Clara collection, California, USA, acquired before 2010
All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
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#164698Fragment of a larger piece. Loss of original ears. Repaired with restoration. Otherwise, very nice with rich earthen deposits on interior.Condition
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