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Chinese Han Dynasty Terracotta Bird - TL Tested
About the Item
A beautiful terracotta bird that stands on a pair of well-defined bronze legs with large, splaying feet. These support a globular body and slender neck, stretched forwards. The remaining pigment suggests that the bird has a black body painted with blue and white spots, and a red tail and head. A gizzard and crest have been differentiated using a more vivid red, possibly indicating the species of bird and nicely showcasing the Han penchant for naturalism.
The Han period saw the gradual adoption of burial practices that required a large number of goods accompanying the dead, meant for use in the afterlife, leading to an upswing in demand for clay funerary objects. Utilitarian vessels, male and female attendants, livestock, horses and carts, geese, and birds were popular subjects. Thus, this bird is a fine example of Han pottery and provides useful information about the everyday life of the Han people. This piece has been precisely dated by means of a Thermo Luminescence analysis carried out by Ralf Kotalla, the TL certificate with its full report will accompany this piece.
Provenance: East Anglian private collection; formerly acquired in the early 1990s in Hong Kong.
- Dimensions:Height: 3.55 in (9 cm)Width: 1.97 in (5 cm)Depth: 6.5 in (16.5 cm)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:Ca. 202 BC - AD 220
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Minor fading.
- Seller Location:London, GB
- Reference Number:
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- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: London, United Kingdom
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 14 days of delivery.
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