Superb Chinese Painted Terracotta Horse, Possibly Han Dynasty

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This impressive Chinese terra cotta horse came out of the fine collection and estate of Patricia Brady of New Orleans, … Read more This impressive Chinese terra cotta horse came out of the fine collection and estate of Patricia Brady of New Orleans, Louisiana. We believe based on its style and fabrication that it could date to the Han Dynasty (206 BC–220 AD).

The saddled horse is modeled standing foursquare upon a rectangular integral base. The figure is distinguished by its powerful proportions, gracefully lowered head, substantial rounded body, and carefully modeled saddle, exhibiting characteristics associated with the celebrated equestrian sculptures of ancient China.

The horse is fashioned from reddish-orange earthenware, with extensive remnants of pale gray and white surface decoration, together with irregular areas of earthy encrustation. These contrasting surfaces lend the figure a richly textured, archaeological appearance, particularly across the neck, shoulders, flanks, and legs.

During the Han Dynasty, horses occupied an important position in Chinese society, symbolizing wealth, military strength, prestige, and status. Ceramic representations of horses were frequently created as mingqi, or funerary furnishings, intended to accompany the deceased into the afterlife. Such figures are among the most recognizable and admired surviving examples of early Chinese ceramic sculpture.

A striking and evocative example of Chinese equestrian sculpture, combining impressive sculptural presence, historical associations, and the appealing character of an object fashioned in the tradition of ancient Chinese funerary art. See less