Ancient Chinese, Han dynasty Terracotta Mingqi warrior - 46 cm

CHINA, HAN DYNASTY (206 B.C.–220 A.D.) Invoice seen by Catawiki Important funerary figure of a warrior or guard in polychrome terracotta — Mingqi Interesting and expressive Chinese funerary figure in polychrome terracotta, representing a standing warrior or guard, belonging to the sculptural tradition developed during the Han Dynasty (206 B.C.–220 A.D.). The figure appears upright and frontal, dressed in a long tunic with wide sleeves over trousers, preserving significant remnants of its ancient pictorial decoration in dark, cream and red tones. Especially notable is the diagonal red band crossing the torso. The right arm is bent and raised, with the hand clenched, while the left arm descends along the body. This arrangement indicates that the figure would originally have held weapons, staffs or other attributes made separately, currently lost, a common circumstance in this type of funerary sculpture. The face, deliberately schematic yet expressive in conception, features soberly modeled eyes, nose and mouth, crowned by a characteristic headdress. These figures, known as mingqi, formed part of the extraordinary funerary universe of Han China. They were deposited in the tombs of people of rank to symbolically reproduce in the Beyond the entourage, the servants, and the elements of daily life that the deceased had enjoyed. Han funerary sculpture represents one of the great evolutions of ancient Chinese art after the famous Qin Terracotta Army: in contrast to the monumental scale of that ensemble, Han artists developed numerous figures of guards, soldiers, servants, musicians, animals and domestic scenes intended to populate authentic underground palaces. Particularly attractive is the partial preservation of the original polychromy applied in cold, extremely vulnerable after about two thousand years of interment. Material: terracotta with traces of polychromy and engobes. Dimensions: 46 × 16 × 10 cm approx. Condition: archaeological state. Shows wear and paint loss, surface deposits and crusts, cracks and fissures, highlighting a wide transverse crack at chest and shoulder level, in addition to ancient joints/repairs. The attributes originally held by the hands have been lost. See photographic documentation in detail. A piece of great presence and considerable size, representative of one of the fundamental chapters of funerary sculpture in ancient China.

Estimate:$3,708.26

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