Eastern Han Dynasty Warrior Figure with Pigments

$1,894.44

An extremely fine terracotta statuette of a warrior, dating between the Eastern Han Period and the Jin Dynasty. The warrior is shown with his hair arranged in a top knot and kneeling, with one knee bent behind, in the classic hoplite stance. His right hand is raised in the act of holding something, possibly a spear or a sword, while his left hand holds a long shield, featuring a high mid rib. Traces of the original pigment are still visible to the surface, especially to the detachable shield which displays much of the original after-fire applied red pigment.

N.B. This item will require additional postage charges after checkout due to weight and size.

Date: Circa 25-420 AD
Period: Eastern Han Dynasty-Jin Dynasty
Condition: Extremely fine, unusual and rare piece. Original red pigment still visible to the surface. the piece has been TL tested.

In stock

Grave goods were an important status symbol in ancient China, so the affluent and important would be accompanied in their travels through the afterlife with numerous depictions of people, items and animals. Statuettes of warriors, such as this fine example, would have been placed in the tomb to assist and protect the deceased in the afterlife. Interestingly, long shields, as seen on this statuette, became popular in ancient China from the Han period. Similar statuettes have been also recovered from the Eastern Wu Kingdom (222-280 AD) and Jin Dynasty (266-420 AD).

To discover more about Chinese terracotta statuettes, please visit our relevant blog post: Terracotta Tomb Attendants.

Weight 3000 g
Dimensions H 35 cm
Culture

Pottery and Porcelain

Region

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