Ca. 202 BC - AD 220
A large terracotta rabbit that is depicted in an extremely naturalistic manner, characteristic of Han Dynasty artistic practice. It is depicted in a recumbent pose, ears bent backward and head forward. The eyes, ears, and mouth are distinguished from the black body using pinkish-red and black pigments. The mouth is further decorated with a few confident brush strokes, imitating rabbit whiskers and demonstrating the exceptional quality of the piece.
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. This led to an upswing in demand for clay funerary objects. Utilitarian vessels, male and female attendants, livestock, horses and carts, geese, birds, and rabbits were popular subjects.
Provenance: Private London collection of Asian Art; formerly in an old British collection. Acquired in Hong Kong in the early 1990s.
CHINESE HAN DYNASTY TERRACOTTA RABBIT - TL TESTED
Dimensions
L: 165mm / W: 280mm ; 2.92kg