Eastern Art Online, Yousef Jameel Centre for Islamic and Asian Art

Ashmolean − Eastern Art Online, Yousef Jameel Centre for Islamic and Asian Art

The Barlow Collection

A select catalogue of the Barlow collection of Chinese Ceramics, Bronzes and Jades by the University of Sussex (published Sussex, 2006).

The Barlow Collection by the University of Sussex

Publications online: 456 objects

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Figure of a horse's head

  • loan
  • Literature notes

    Horse’s heads of this type generally had matching pottery bodies, but legs made of a different material, like the horse and rider in the Barlow Collection, [LI1301.418].

    The head sits on a heavy neck, the features are well modelled, the eyes prominent, cheeks rounded, mouth open to reveal the tongue and teeth, and nostrils clearly rendered. Two holes are replacing ears, and a sharp, somewhat twisted ridge indicates the mane. The neck is hollowed out underneath. The grey pottery is covered with a dark red pigment and shows traces of white to indicate a harness.
  • Details

    Associated place
    Asia China (north) (place of creation)
    Date
    2nd - 1st century BC (200 - 1 BC)
    Western Han Dynasty (206 BC - AD 9)
    Material and technique
    earthenware, moulded and luted together, with traces of red and white pigment; head, pierced
    Dimensions
    14.2 x 16.8 x 5.8 cm (height x width x depth)
    Material index
    Technique index
    Object type index
    No. of items
    1
    Credit line
    Lent by the Sir Alan Barlow Collection Trust.
    Accession no.
    LI1301.417
  • Further reading

    University of Sussex, and Arts and Humanities Research Council, The Barlow Collection, supervised by Regina Krahl, Maurice Howard, and Aiden Leeves (Sussex: University of Sussex, 2006), no. S22

Glossary (2)

earthenware, luted

  • earthenware

    Ceramic material made of clay which is fired to a temperature of c.1000-1200⁰c. The resulting ceramic is non-vitreous and varies in colour from dark red to yellow.

  • luted

    The fusion of parts of ceramics using dilute clay slip.

Location

    • currently in research collection

Objects are sometimes moved to a different location. Our object location data is usually updated on a monthly basis. Contact the Jameel Study Centre if you are planning to visit the museum to see a particular object on display, or would like to arrange an appointment to see an object in our reserve collections.

 

Publications online

  • The Barlow Collection by the University of Sussex

    The Barlow Collection

    Horse’s heads of this type generally had matching pottery bodies, but legs made of a different material, like the horse and rider in the Barlow Collection, [LI1301.418].

    The head sits on a heavy neck, the features are well modelled, the eyes prominent, cheeks rounded, mouth open to reveal the tongue and teeth, and nostrils clearly rendered. Two holes are replacing ears, and a sharp, somewhat twisted ridge indicates the mane. The neck is hollowed out underneath. The grey pottery is covered with a dark red pigment and shows traces of white to indicate a harness.
Notice

Object information may not accurately reflect the actual contents of the original publication, since our online objects contain current information held in our collections database. Click on 'buy this publication' to purchase printed versions of our online publications, where available, or contact the Jameel Study Centre to arrange access to books on our collections that are now out of print.

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