Stick Man. China. Han Dynasty. 206 BC-220 AD.

Stick Man. China. Han Dynasty. 206 BC-220 AD.
Terracotta, with polychrome.
Measurements: 60 x 12 x 7 cm.

Terracotta figure belonging to the funerary trousseau, called "Stick Man" for its elongated, straight and thin anatomy. It is made of terracotta and decorated with engobes giving color to the flesh and highlighting the eyes, hair, eyebrows and mouth.

Male figure in terracotta, with a finely modeled face. Originally, these pieces were dressed and with mounted wooden arms. Stickman figures were only used by the royal family and were placed as armies to assist and protect the owner in the afterlife.

The Han dynasty ruled China between 206 B.C. and 220 A.D., more than four centuries during which the political, social and economic structures of China were consolidated, leading the country to the most glorious stage of its history. Regarding the art of this time, it is still eminently funerary, although it reflects the very high artistic level that will be reached both in the capitals and in the provinces. These preserved objects provide us with information on the daily life and customs of the time, since the art becomes much more mundane than the bronzes of the Zhou and Shang periods. The structures of the tombs also changed: the Shang tombs were vertical, while the Han tombs were built as subway palaces. They were decorated with reliefs stamped with scenes from the life of the deceased, and a new material was incorporated as an artistic support, lacquer. However, the most famous today is the production of Han ceramics, in terracotta and generally decorated with cold-applied engobes, mainly black and red.