A PAINTED POTTERY MONSTER MASK, PUSHOU, SIX DYNASTIES - TANG DYNASTY

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A PAINTED POTTERY MONSTER MASK, PUSHOU, SIX DYNASTIES - TANG DYNASTY Scientific Analysis Report: A thermoluminescence analysis report issued by Oxford Authentication on 25 August 2026, based on sample number C126k98, sets the firing date of all three samples taken between 900 and 1500 years ago, consistent with the dating above. A copy of the report accompanies this lot. China, circa 6th-8th century. Finely molded in relief as a lion mythical beast mask with a wide opened mouth revealing sharp teeth and fangs within, bulging eyes below furrowed brows, surmounted by two horns, all encircled by a flaming mane. Dimensions: Height 35.6 cm With a fitted modern stand. (2) After the collapse of the Han dynasty in 220 AD, China entered a long era of political fragmentation in which northern territories were frequently controlled by non-Han groups. Despite this turbulence, the practice of furnishing tombs with ceramic sculptures continued and ultimately flourished under the Tang dynasty, a period celebrated for its peace, prosperity, and cosmopolitan culture. The Tang capital of Chang’an (present-day Xi’an) was a thriving hub at the eastern terminus of the Silk Road, drawing foreign merchants, travelers, and pilgrims. Tombs from this period contained rich assemblages of ceramic figures, inlcuding horses, camels, foreign traders, and attendants, intended to project the prestige of the deceased. Among the most dramatic inclusions were elaborate funerary retinues featuring armored guardians, elegant courtiers, and mounted aristocrats, while protective monster masks were placed at tomb entrances to ward off malevolent forces. These masks, known as pushou, represent a revival of an ancient form with roots in Han funerary traditions. Traditionally, pushou combined the head of a fierce beast, often linked to the taotie motif of archaic bronzes, with a ring to resemble a door knocker, symbolically guarding the threshold to the afterlife. While early examples were typically cast in bronze, Tang artisans reinterpreted them in earthenware, creating striking images of horned monsters with glaring eyes and bared teeth like the present lot. Literature comparison: Compare two closely related pottery monster masks, also dated to Tang dynasty, late 7th-8th century, Tang dynasty, 50 and 30.5 cm wide, in the Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Harvard University, object number 2006.169.2 and 2003.216. Compare a closely related pottery monster mask, dated to Tang dynasty, 36 cm high, from a private collection and exhibited by Vanderven Oriental Art in summer 2025. Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Sotheby’s New York, 22 March 2011, lot 250 Price: USD 9,375 or approx. EUR 12,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling with similar expression and size (29 cm).

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