Chinese Han Dynasty Pottery Cart w/ Ox Pulling
East Asia, China, Han Dynasty, ca. 206 BCE to 220 CE. A beautifully detailed terracotta cart with yoke and ox to pull it. The cart has large wheels and a broad, flat roof, with a large open interior for storage. The ox is nicely rendered and realistic, ready for labor. The remains of pigment are visible on the surface of both, especially on the wheels. Size with ox in place: 11.5" L x 5.75" W x 5.9" H (29.2 cm x 14.6 cm x 15 cm); 6.75" H (17.1 cm) on included custom stand.
Tomb attendants like this one 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 Hawaii, USA collection, purchased in Hong Kong in the 1980s
All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
We ship worldwide to most countries and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.
#141207
Condition Report: Ox and cart are not attached to each other. Both are repaired and restored from multiple pieces. Restoration is expertly done and almost impossible to discern. Light encrustation on surface.
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East Asia, China, Han Dynasty, ca. 206 BCE to 220 CE. A beautifully detailed terracotta cart with yoke and ox to pull it. The cart has large wheels and a broad, flat roof, with a large open interior for storage. The ox is nicely rendered and realistic, ready for labor. The remains of pigment are visible on the surface of both, especially on the wheels. Size with ox in place: 11.5" L x 5.75" W x 5.9" H (29.2 cm x 14.6 cm x 15 cm); 6.75" H (17.1 cm) on included custom stand.
Tomb attendants like this one 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 Hawaii, USA collection, purchased in Hong Kong in the 1980s
All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
We ship worldwide to most countries and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.
#141207
Condition Report: Ox and cart are not attached to each other. Both are repaired and restored from multiple pieces. Restoration is expertly done and almost impossible to discern. Light encrustation on surface.
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Time, Location
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