Ancient Chinese, Han dynasty Terracotta Han Sichuan Horse - TL APPROVED

Horse; Sichuan, China, Han Dynasty, 206 BCE – 220 CE. Terracotta. Thermoluminescence dating attached. Shows restoration along the fracture line at the left ear and on the front hooves. Minor loss to the front left hoof. Dimensions: 110 x 120 x 30 cm. This large-format horse with a striking sculptural presence is modeled with great volumetric weight and is depicted standing, with all four legs firmly planted on the ground in a contained movement pose, conveying a sense of dynamic stability. The head is shown upright, with the clipped mane rising between the alert ears, wide-open eyes, dilated nostrils, and a prominent snout with the mouth slightly open, teeth visible, features that reinforce its energetic and realistic character. This type of figures, known as mingqi (“grave goods”), were part of the funerary equipage intended to accompany the deceased in the afterlife. Their function was not decorative but symbolic and ritual: they substituted goods, animals, and servants of the earthly world, guaranteeing the deceased the conditions necessary for continued existence in the other life. In this context, the horse occupied a prominent place as a symbol of status, military power, and social prestige, in addition to being an essential element in the organization and expansion of the Han Empire. The Han Dynasty is regarded as one of the great moments of splendor in Chinese civilization, characterized by the consolidation of imperial power, territorial expansion, and intense cultural development. Through the Silk Road contacts with Central Asia, India, and other regions were strengthened, driving a remarkable exchange of ideas, techniques, and goods. This opening context also favored the development of religious beliefs, including Confucianism and Buddhism, as well as increasingly refined artistic production. Taken together, this horse figure not only reflects the high technical level of Han ceramics but also a deeply symbolic conception of funerary art, in which the representation of the animal blends realism, status, and ritual function within the Chinese view of the transition to the afterlife.

Schätzpreis:€14,000

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