Lot 125
East Asia, China, Han Dynasty, ca. 206 BCE to 220 CE. An evocative pair of molded pottery figures representing seated musicians from the Han Dynasty. Each wears a tall cap and voluminous robe, their bodies modeled with gentle naturalism and traces of original pigment still visible on the surfaces. One figure sits upright, hands raised to grasp the xiao, a vertical bamboo flute associated with courtly refinement and Daoist spirituality. His companion is shown in a more relaxed posture, hands positioned before him to strum the guqin, a zither whose resonance carried connotations of scholarly cultivation and cosmic harmony. Mounted on custom wooden bases, this harmonious duo stands as a rare survival of the Han aesthetic, blending ritual purpose with vivid evocations of life's joys. Size of larger (guqin player): 6.2" L x 12.5" W x 13.3" H (15.7 cm x 31.8 cm x 33.8 cm); 15.3" H (38.9 cm) on included custom stand.
Musician figures of this type were typically placed in tombs as mingqi (spirit objects), ensuring that their patron would be accompanied in the afterlife by the pleasures of entertainment, ritual music, and cultured company. The pairing of wind and string instruments is significant, reflecting the Han ideal of balanced harmony between different tonal registers, much as music itself was believed to echo the order of heaven and earth.
Provenance: Collection of Y. Kayvan, Los Angeles, California, USA, acquired from a Los Angeles, California, USA gallery acquisition dates range from the late 1990s to 2005
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#197209
- Condition: Both have been professionally repaired with restoration to head of guqin player and restoration over break lines of both. Weathering to surface of both as shown, commensurate with age. Liberal remaining detail and rich earthen and marine encrustations throughout.
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