Han Dynasty Pottery Stick Figure

Object Description

A Chinese Han Dynasty hollow-moulded grey pottery figurine of a man. Statuettes such as this fine example, are known as “Stick Figures” due to their elongated and slender form, and would have originally acted much like dolls, with cloth garments and wooden, detachable arms, which are now sadly missing. Some examples would have portrayed the male figure completely nude, with long legs moulded together with the body; other examples, such as this one, show the figure wearing a short tunic, with legs separately moulded in clay, now missing. Facial features have been finely and naturalistically modelled, displaying a tight-lipped enigmatic smile and widely open eyes. His hair is modelled in a small knot at the back of his head. Figures such as this would have had heads moulded separately from their body. Traces of the original black pigment suggest that the figure is portrayed wearing a tunic.

Date: Circa 202 BC-220 AD
Period: Han Dynasty

Object History

The C. Roger Moss OBE collection. The late C. Roger Moss OBE was a renowned art collector who, throughout the years, thanks to his determination and enthusiasm, was able to create an outstanding collection of artworks, most prominently from China and the Orient, but also from other cultures

Object Literature

For a similar item, see The Victoria and Albert Museum, item number FE.44-2008

Object Condition

Very fine, some earthly encrustations on the surface. The item is mounted on a custom-made stand.

Object Details