A RARE GREY POTTERY FIGURE OF A BOAR SIX DYNASTIES |

the animal standing firmly with its curled tail sprung sharply upwards, set towards the front of its spine three triangular horns, behind its lowered head detailed with a pair of almond-shaped eyes and a protruding snout, the pottery of a greyish buff tone with traces of straw-coloured glaze

Sotheby's New York, 4th June 1985, lot 79.
Collection of Earl Morse, New York.

The figure is preserved in unusually good condition with just a typical clean break to the tail and general surface wear and minute bruises. There are also traces of original pigments.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

This piece is notable for the lively expression of the beast, its body rendered to suggest movement. Ceramic beasts of this type are discussed by Ezekiel Schloss in the catalogue to the exhibition Art of the Han, China Institute in America, New York, 1979, p. 64, where he suggests that they were popular tomb guardians that were meant to protect the deceased from evil spirits. A similar beast, attributed to the Western Jin dynasty, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, is illustrated in Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum. Sculpture, vol. 1, Funeral Figures and Molds from the Warring States Period to the Southern and Northern Dynasties, Beijing, 2011, pl. 168. See also one carved with wings, unearthed in Yanshi county, Henan province, and now in the Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Beijing University, illustrated in Angela Falco Howard et. al., Chinese Sculpture, New Haven, 2006, fig. 2.2; one with knobs applied to the spine, unearthed from Zhengzhou, Henan province and now in the Henan Provincial Museum, Zhengzhou, illustrated in Sekai tōji zenshū/Ceramic Art of the World, vol. 10, Tokyo, 1982, pl. 272; another included in the exhibition Art of the Han, op.cit., cat. no. 40; and a larger example with pronounced ribs, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, illustrated in Suzanne G. Valenstein, A Handbook of Chinese Ceramics, New York, 1975, pl. 50.