Huge Chinese Han Dynasty Tomb Panels, TL Tested

East Asia, China, Han Dynasty, ca. 206 BCE to 220 CE. An amazing pair of massive, hollow clay bricks from a Han tomb. Before they were fired, artisans stamped these bricks with the artwork you see here: decorative diamond-shaped borders on the long edges and repeated phoenixes and horses. Each phoenix has a long tail and pointed wings that resemble lightning strikes; the bird's crested head is turned back as if looking over its shoulder and it stands on delicate feet. The interior of the birds' bodies feature curved lines that form auspicious shapes. The horses, meanwhile, have rounded bodies with large back haunches, thick necks, and heads proudly raised; they are posed as if prancing, and have bridles to indicate that they belong to someone rather than running free. Size of one (they are nearly identical in size): 5.5" L x 18.2" W x 54.3" H (14 cm x 46.2 cm x 137.9 cm)

These bricks, each over four feet tall, were made to construct the rectangular chambers of a traditional Han tomb, which would have been dug into the ground and divided into different rooms. Doors and a lintel would also have been featured, completing the tomb, which would have contained a coffin atop a stone "couch" and numerous grave goods befitting the status of the person interred.

Both animals stamped on these bricks had deep meaning for the ancient Chinese. In Chinese legend, the phoenix is the most beautiful of all birds, called the feng huang, and the etymology of the name is derived from "emperor"; the bird also symbolizes the south. Meanwhile, Han period 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 were created to carry the deceased into the hereafter. These horses were believed to possess magical powers. The number of horses owned by an individual ensured his high status in the afterlife.

See similar clay bricks from Han tombs at the Chicago Institute of Art (1924.449; 1924.447a-b).

This piece has been tested using thermoluminescence (TL) analysis and has been found to be ancient and of the period stated. A full report will accompany purchase.

Provenance: private Vero Beach, Florida, USA collection, purchased in the 1980s-1990s; ex-old English collection

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#152884
Condition Report: Both are intact. Small chips, nicks, and scratches - mainly from peripheries - commensurate with age, and a few surface fissures from the firing process/flexing. Deposits in some areas obscure the motifs, which are also worn in places from time. However, most are still clearly visible. Orange writing/markings are on two of the faces, but do not obscure the Han period artwork. Both have tiny TL testing holes drilled into their undersides.