Preliminary identification
Photo reference
4 uploaded photos
Overview
This is a molded earthenware sculptural group depicting a traditional Chinese sedan chair, or palanquin, being carried by four attendants with two additional figures standing alongside. It is decorated in the classic 'sancai' (three-color) lead-glaze palette of amber, green, and cream, featuring a seated figure visible inside the carriage.
Story
During the Tang Dynasty, elite burials included ceramic models of daily life to serve the deceased in the afterlife. This piece recreates that ancient tradition, depicting a wealthy passenger traveling in style with a full retinue.
Maker / Origin
While styled after the funerary wares of the Tang Dynasty (618–907 AD), pieces of this specific construction, base style, and glaze consistency are typically 20th-century decorative revivals made by skilled workshop artisans in China to satisfy the global demand for classical Chinese art.
Condition & Value
The piece shows minor wear, dust accumulation in the crevices, and typical manufacturing imperfections. There are no obvious major breaks or missing limbs on the figures, which is excellent for such a complex, fragile assembly. Good preservation of the glaze colors.
Full Research
Sold comps, value drivers, and venue guidance pulled from recent auction results.
Build on this identification
Layer in sold comps, value drivers, and venue guidance.
Comparable demand stays strongest where maker, originality, and venue confidence line up. Broader examples still trade, but the range tightens quickly when provenance, condition, or selling lane fit is missing.
Best Venue
Specialty auction or a focused dealer with buyers already in this lane.
Signed example with light edge wear and original frame.
Comparable format with stronger provenance and cleaner surface.
Smaller related piece with visible craquelure and trimmed margins.
Period match with softer condition and weaker subject matter.
Close market lane comp with similar material and presentation.