A RARE GREEN GLAZED POTTERY FIGURE OF A RAM, HAN DYNASTY

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A RARE GREEN GLAZED POTTERY FIGURE OF A RAM, HAN DYNASTY Expert’s note The emerald-green glaze shows extensive oxidation and calcification, resulting in characteristic whitish surface encrustations frequently observed on Han dynasty lead-glazed wares. Particularly attractive in the present example is the manner in which these alterations broadly follow the original pooling of the glaze, allowing the facial features and other details to remain remarkably distinct and legible. The pottery was fired at a very low temperature, a phenomenon known among wares of this type, which precludes any type of TL testing. China, 206 BC-220 AD. Well potted as a recumbent ram with the legs tucked beneath the body, the rounded haunches rising gently behind the arched neck and raised head, the face is rendered with alert circular eyes, a short muzzle, and large curled horns framing the ears. Covered overall with a rich, iridescent, emerald-green lead glaze. Dimensions: Length 22.7 cm It is very rare to find Han glazed pottery rams of this size. The ram occupied an important place in Han-dynasty material culture as both a real source of wealth and an auspicious image. Sheep and goats, broadly covered by the Chinese term yang, were among the essential domesticated animals of the agrarian household, valued for meat, hides, wool, and ritual sacrifice. In Han tombs, pottery animals were not casual ornaments: they formed part of an idealized afterlife estate, ensuring that the deceased continued to possess livestock, prosperity, and the comforts of a well-ordered household. Literature comparison: Compare a smaller green-glazed pottery figure of a ram, dated to the Han dynasty, only 7 cm long, in the National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, accession number S2012.9.3263. Compare an unglazed Han-dynasty gray pottery zun in the form of a recumbent ram, 40 cm long, unearthed in April 2006 from Tomb M11 at Lingtou, Zhicheng, and now in the Jiyuan Museum. Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christie’s Hong Kong, 6 October 2015, lot 70 Price: HKD 200,000 or approx. EUR 28,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the related modeling and glaze. Note the different subject and the similar size (26 cm).

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