**First Time At Auction**

East Asia, China, Han dynasty, ca. 206 BCE to 220 CE. A wonderful pair of pottery figures, a groom and a horse, both rendered in fine, naturalistic detail. The handsome gentleman presents a slender body dressed in a long-sleeved robe that flares out at his knees beneath a dotted vest. Gazing forth from slender eyes above a broad nose and straight mouth, his expression is both calm and dignified, as he holds out his hand, presumably to grasp the reins of his noble steed. Alternatively, the horse presents a thick body with skillfully delineated hooves and musculature. His long snout extends forward displaying a slightly open mouth and delineated nostrils beneath bulbous eyes and pointed ears. A short mane rises up from the curve of his long neck. Size of larger (horse): 12.4" L x 3.3" W x 11.6" H (31.5 cm x 8.4 cm x 29.5 cm)

During this period of Chinese history, horses came from the Ferghama Valley in Central Asia - present day Afghanistan. When elite individuals passed away, large "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.

Tomb statues like this horse 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? 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. Caring for the po seems to have taken on a new level of meaning in the Han period, with more elaborate rituals and tomb construction arising.

Provenance: private Vero Beach, Florida, USA collection, acquired before 2003

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#177409

Professional repair and restoration to horse and arms of groom with repainting over break lines. Both have expected minor chips, nicks, and abrasions, but otherwise have an excellent presentation with nice remaining pigments and detail.