TANG DYNASTY

Details

A painted red pottery figure of a female musician on horseback
Tang Dynasty
The female rider shown holding cymbals and making a clapping movement, wearing a long robe belted above the slim waist, the delicately modelled face with full cheeks framed by a high wavy cowl, the horse's mouth open as if neighing, standing foursquare on a rectangular plinth, traces of colour pigment, gilt and white slib, some restoration
50.7 cm. high

Special notice

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Lot Essay

A group of five female musicians on horseback was found in the tomb of Yu Yin and Princess Jinxiang, Xian, Shaanxi Province. During the Tang Dynasty there was a strong interest in foreign types of music, and in particular that from Central Asia from where this small type of cymbals originated. See The Golden Age of Chinese Archaeology, National Gallery of Art, Washingon, Ed. by Xiaoneng Yang, p. 494-496, fig. 171.
A male cymbal player on horseback was sold in these Rooms, 8 May 2001, lot 270.

The result of the thermoluminescence test (Labor Ralf Kotalla, Haigerloch, Germany) no. 00579, is consistent with the dating of this lot.

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