Lot 4
East Asia, China, Northern Wei Dynasty, ca. 386 to 534 CE. A strikingly solemn pair of mounted warriors, these painted pottery horsemen were once guardians of a tomb, conjured in clay to protect and accompany the deceased through the uncertain terrain of the afterlife. Rendered in confident profile and nearly identical in form, each rider sits upright atop a broad-shouldered steed, the horse's curved neck and flared crest lending a spirited elegance to the otherwise stoic formation. Formed from pale earthenware and tinted with traces of red ochre pigment, the figures exhibit a stylistic restraint characteristic of the Northern Wei dynasty, when Buddhist sculpture and tomb art flourished amid sweeping cultural transformation. The riders wear rounded helmets and armored jackets, with minimal facial detail and broad shoulders conveying a sense of military formality. Their horses, posed mid-stride on rectangular plinths, echo the quiet strength of imperial cavalry. Size (both about the same): 8.9" L x 3.8" W x 11.5" H (22.6 cm x 9.7 cm x 29.2 cm)
These figures belong to the vast tradition of mingqi (tomb goods), intended not only to serve the deceased but also to reflect their earthly status and ensure a harmonious passage into the next realm. During the Northern Wei period, the shift of the capital to Luoyang brought renewed contact with Central Asian cultures and introduced new equestrian motifs into Chinese funerary sculpture. The dynamic curve of the horses head and the crest-like ears may reflect such influences. While their forms are schematic, their presence is powerful. The symmetry of the pair, the rhythm of horse and rider, and the softened remnants of pigment lend the ensemble a quiet majesty. They are echoes of a vanished cavalry - stately, alert, and forever on watch at the edge of eternity.
This piece has been tested using thermoluminescence (TL) analysis and has been found to be ancient and of the period stated by QED Laboratoire. A full report (in French) will accompany the item upon purchase.
Provenance: private Las Vegas, Nevada, USA collection
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#195156
- Condition: Both have been professionally repaired with break lines visible in areas. Nicks and abrasions to surface commensurate with age, but, otherwise, excellent presentations with rich earthen deposits and liberal remaining pigments. TL holes on back of one rider's head and beneath one horse's chest.
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