This figurine of a Han retinue soldier is wearing a red tunic with a breast-plate and baggy trousers. The holes around the hand area and his hand position suggest that he was probably carrying some military equipment in his hands previously. Instead of human sacrifices, Han warriors such as this were substituted and most likely used as burial goods or ‘mingqi’ for a rich and influential Han person. It is thought that such wares were necessary for the deceased in the next world. Elaborate groups of burial wares were also a display of wealth and social status.Such Han warriors are very similar to the large retinue of pottery soldiers found at the famous Yangjiawan site in northeastern Xianyang in Shaanxi province, China. Artefacts excavated from this particular site were dated to be between 179 to 141 B.C.E.
