Han Dynasty Painted Pottery Equestrian Group – Horses and Rider (Auction 2026-06-05, Lot 198A)

$771.00

A painted earthenware mingqi figure of a horse and rider, the horse modeled in a standing alert pose with head raised, retaining substantial original cold-painted pigments in red and white over a gray body. The rider wears red robes with hands pierced to receive reins, which would have been threaded through corresponding holes at the corners of the horse’s mouth. Such horse and rider figures were placed in Han tombs to provide the deceased with transportation and attendants in the afterlife, and this example is mounted on a modern marble and brass display stand.

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

Condition: Fair. Missing rear leg, and two legs have been reattached, and are no longer weight bearing. Fading to pigments. but great remains throughout.