{"product_id":"han-dynasty-chinese-pottery-head-of-a-man","title":"Han Dynasty Chinese Pottery Head of a Man","description":"\u003cp\u003eCirca 206 BC – AD 220\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA finely modeled earthenware head of a man from a Chinese tomb figure (mingqi), created as a burial good for a high-status individual during the Han Dynasty. The face is sensitively rendered with a rounded cranium, a strong straight nose, defined ears, and softly modeled lips. The surface has weathered to the bare ceramic, with earthy burial encrustation and the warm grey-buff tone characteristic of ancient interred pottery — a quiet, sculptural presence that reads beautifully on a shelf, desk, or in a cabinet of antiquities.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDuring the Han Dynasty, hundreds of pottery figures were placed in elite tombs to recreate the world of the deceased, spawning a vast workshop industry across China. Modeled human heads such as this survive as evocative fragments of that funerary tradition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDimensions: 4¼ in. (10.8 cm) high; 6 in. (15.2 cm) high on later wood block base\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCondition: Head fragment as shown; surface erosion and burial deposits consistent with age; mounted on a nice cherry color custom wood base.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe head retains a rich layer of old collection history, including an inked accession number \"70.218\" on both the head and its base, paper inventory labels numbered \"359\" and \"101,\" a painted \"CHINA\" notation, and a red Chinese seal\/dealer label to the underside — the kind of accumulated markings consistent with a long-held early collection. Acquired from the estate of a US Doctor. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Art for Eternity","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53632692158778,"sku":"17662","price":795.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0775\/5120\/6714\/files\/17662z.jpg?v=1781981909","url":"https:\/\/howardnowes.com\/products\/han-dynasty-chinese-pottery-head-of-a-man","provider":"Art for Eternity","version":"1.0","type":"link"}