A powerfully sculpted ancient Chinese Han Dynasty horse head, of beautiful angular style and dating to 202 BC - 220 AD. With an imposing sense of monumentality, Han horse sculpture is famous for its style and is recognised as being amongst the finest of all ancient Chinese ming qi art.
The animal is captured in all its magnificence, with powerful musculature, angular jaw and a dignified aura. Exhibiting a melding of abstract yet lifelike characteristics, the ancient artist has skilfully utilised the idiosyncrasies of the face to capture the majesty of the horse. Contorted into an expression one might almost call a sneer, the head is turned just slightly to one side, with a pointed mouth and sharp visceral eyes.
Figures such as this were made to accompany the Han elite into the afterlife, providing protection and acting as a display of wealth and status. In antiquity, this head would have been attached to a pottery body with wooden legs of substantial size.
A beautiful display piece that reflects the skill and elegance of a golden age in ancient Chinese art.
One of the most visually appealing Han horse heads we have handled.
Condition: Very good, wear to surface synonymous with an ancient artefact, reattached at the muzzle, otherwise unrestored and with good pigment preservation.
With Oxford Authentication Thermoluminescence test Height: 9 ½ inches.
Provenance:
Ex. private collection, sold as part of a prominent US collection of Chinese art at Doyle of New York.
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