Early Han Dynasty, 206 BCE to 9 CE

This small piece is a lovely example of the earliest art of this period. There is remaining hardened earth in the grooves of this horse which can be removed or left as is.

Han art was the culmination of a development that already started during the Warring States period. While the shapes and decoration of the objects of the Western Zhou Dynasty were totally dependent on their use as sacrificial objects which focused on spirits and Heaven, the human being and daily life became the center of Eastern Zhou art.

Size - 1-1/2" Tall