Large Chinese Mingqi Ceramic Sculptural Horse

Large Chinese Mingqi Ceramic Sculptural Horse
Chinese unglazed red pottery horse, possibly Eastern Han or Tang dynasty. A mingqi sculptural mortuary or spirit object. The horse strides or prances forward with its docked tail held high. With an S-curved neck and a well-sculpted head featuring open mouth, flared nostrils, and protuberant eyes under curved brows. The long, pointed ears are pricked upwards on either side of a gently sloped roached mane. With a plinth.

Provenance: From the Estate of C. Curtis "Curt" Dunnavan, Long Lake, Minnesota.

C. Curtis "Curt" Dunnavan (1926-2022) was a passionate world traveler and avid collector. It was through his travels that he was inspired to begin a lifelong relationship with the Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia), becoming a major sponsor of the institute and facilitating the growth of their Asian art department, which is now one of the best in the country. His generous donations to Mia allowed them to establish a fund for the Deputy Director and Chief Operating Officer, one of the few endowed positions of this type in the museum field. He additionally served as a trustee of the institute, advocating for its operational growth. In its turn, the museum established a gallery named in his honor in recognition for his endowment fund and numerous contributions to their collection.
Horse; height: 37 in x width: 26 in x depth: 9 1/2 in. Base; height: 11 in x width: 38 in x depth: 18 in.
Condition: Overall there are no major cracks or losses. There is general wear throughout as expected from an item of this age. There is natural variation to the color of the horse including a darker head and a lighter tail. There are small chips throughout, some are natural minute losses to the material and possibly original to the artistic process. Along the left shoulder of the horse there is an uneven area of lighter-colored accretions that is slightly rougher than the area around it. There is a small chip along the back left hoof; there is a minute chip along the tip of the right ear; there are several small chips along the right shoulder; there are a few small chips along the right side of the jaw; there are small chips throughout the flared lips; there is a chip near the front of the left shoulder; there are a few chips along the front right hoof. There are hairline cracks throughout. The largest hairline cracks are in the following locations: around the circumference of the back left leg near the hock; there is a oval-shaped hairline crack along the front right knee; there is one along the center of the back; there is a T-shaped crack along the left cheek. There are two spots along the back of the horse along the aforementioned hairline crack where the ceramic is darker than the surrounding material. There is wear to the base including some areas of discoloration from the ceramic hoofs.