China - Horseman Archer - Han Dynasty.

Mounted archer on horseback, attributable to the Han dynasty. The horse, compact and powerful in proportion, stands on four straight legs with stylized hooves. Its neck is arched, its head turned slightly forward in an attentive pose. The nostrils are hollowed, the mouth discreetly incised, and the ears erect. The short tail, held close to the hindquarters, conforms to the formal Han canon. The rider adopts a hieratic posture. He is depicted seated directly on the horse's back, without an apparent saddle or elaborate harness, an element consistent with early representations of the Han period. His arms are drawn forward, suggesting the holding of reins that have since disappeared. The face is deliberately simple, almost abstract, in keeping with the funerary aesthetic of the time. He carries a quiver on his back, in which arrows were typically stored.

The terracotta has an ochre-beige clay with visible mineral inclusions. The surface retains significant traces of polychromy, including ferruginous red pigments and whitish traces of slip, attesting to original painted decoration.

These equestrian groups accompanied military or administrative elites in their tombs, symbolizing power, mobility, and social rank in the afterlife.

Origin: China;

Period: Han Dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD)

Dimensions: Height 29.5 cm; Length 27 cm.

Condition: Good overall condition, with minor restorations.

Provenance: French Art Market.