TOMB FIGURE, Gray earthenware with slip and pigments, Han Dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE)

This is a Han Dynasty gray earthenware tomb figure with applied pigments.

Height 18.5cm. The figure wears a long robe with a wide hem and places both arms in front of the body. The head is large in proportion to the slender torso; the face is elongated, with small eyes, nose, and mouth. The neck projects slightly forward, and in profile the back shows a gentle curvature. Standing upright while inclining the head forward, the figure effectively conveys the demeanor of a person standing in attendance.

Han dynasty tomb figures conveyed rank and role through clothing, posture, and the position of the hands. This example, clad in a long robe, is thought to represent an attendant with both hands held together in front. Rather than elaborating fine detail, the modeling captures the figure through the body’s contours and the tilt of the head.

The figure is hollow with an open base. The clay body was fired in a reducing atmosphere, resulting in a gray tone; its surface is coated with a white slip, and vermilion has been painted on the garment’s collar and seams. A red line running from the chest to the hem, together with remnants of white pigment on the face and robe, allows tracing the original polychromy. White, vermilion, and gray interweave subtly, lending a complex expression to the figure’s economy of form.

The neck shows evidence of a repaired join. The surface displays age-related flaking and abrasion of pigment, yet the overall form—from head through torso to hem—remains intact. This Han Dynasty tomb figure combines a slightly forward-tilted head, an elongated body, and faint surviving pigments in harmonious balance.