Ancient Chinese, Han dynasty Terracotta Mingqi warrior - 46 cm

CHINA, HAN DYNASTY (206 BCE–220 CE)

Invoice seen by Catawiki

Important funerary figure of a warrior or guard in polychrome terracotta — Mingqi

Interesting and expressive Chinese funerary figure in polychrome terracotta, depicting a standing warrior or guard, belonging to the sculptural tradition developed during the Han Dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE).

The figure stands upright and frontal, dressed in a long flowing tunic over trousers, preserving significant traces of its ancient pictorial decoration in dark, cream, and red tones. Notably, a diagonal red band crosses the torso.

The right arm is bent and raised, with the hand clenched, while the left arm descends along the body. This arrangement indicates that originally the figure would have held weapons, staffs, or other attributes made separately, currently lost, a common circumstance in this type of funerary sculptures.

The face, deliberately schematic yet expressive, features modestly modeled eyes, nose, and mouth, topped by a distinctive headdress.

These figures, known as mingqi, were part of the extraordinary funerary universe of Han China. They were placed in the tombs of people of rank to symbolically reproduce in the Beyond the entourage, the servants, and the elements of daily life enjoyed by the deceased.

Han funerary sculpture represents one of the major evolutions of ancient Chinese art after the famous Terracotta Army of Qin: in contrast to the monumental scale of that ensemble, Han artists developed numerous figures of guards, soldiers, servants, musicians, animals, and domestic scenes intended to populate authentic underground palaces.

Of special interest is the partial preservation of the original polychromy applied in cold colors, extremely vulnerable after approximately two thousand years of burial.

Material: terracotta with traces of polychromy and engobes.

Dimensions: approx. 46 × 16 × 10 cm.

Condition: archaeological state. Shows wear and losses of polychromy, surface deposits and encrustations, cracks and fissures, highlighting a wide transverse crack at chest height and shoulders, as well as old joins/repairs. The attributes originally held by the hands have been lost. See photographic documentation for details.

A piece of great presence and considerable size, representative of one of the fundamental chapters of ancient Chinese funerary sculpture.