Unicorn from the Wuwei Site. Gansu, China, Eastern Han Dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD).

Unicorn from the Wuwei Site. Gansu, China, Eastern Han Dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD).
Spruce wood with traces of polychromy.
Provenance: Acquired from the Jacques Barrere gallery, Paris.
Exhibition and publication: Liliane and Michel Durand-Dessert, L'art au futur antérieur, un autre regard, Musée de Grenoble, Actes Sud, 2004, p. 65.
Carbon 14 test, Radiocarbon Laboratory, University of Toronto, Canada, to be given to the buyer.
Measurements: 29 cm (height) x 77 cm (length).

Composed of several assembled pieces, this unicorn with red and black decoration on an originally white background is in combat position, with its head down and legs raised to protect the grave of the deceased. Its long, pointed horn stands out. In Gansu culture, the unicorn (qilin or chilin) is a symbol of good luck, prosperity and peace. It is associated with serenity, purity and protection, and its presence is believed to bring good news and favor the arrival of wise and virtuous people. The specimen in bidding belongs to the site of Wuwéi, city-prefecture in the province of Gansu, People's Republic of China.