A RARE MASSIVE TURQUOISE AND SANCAI-GLAZED POTTERY EARTH SPIRIT

HAN AND TANG CERAMICS

Details

A RARE MASSIVE TURQUOISE AND SANCAI-GLAZED POTTERY EARTH SPIRIT
TANG DYNASTY

Shown seated with front hoofs firmly planted atop a rockwork base, the leonine face modeled with ferocious expression and mouth open in a roar below wild, bulging eyes, the body glazed in amber with cream streaks and the tufts of fur projecting along the legs striped in amber, cream and green, with a similar palette employed on the feathered wings and spiky ruff flanking the head, with large green and cream feathers rising from behind the wings, and an unusual turquoise glaze used to highlight the wings, head and knobs of the curved horns, the large flame-form flange rising from the back of the neck left unglazed and bearing traces of an orangy-red pigment
47¼in. (120cm.) high

Literature

The Tsui Museum of Art, Chinese Ceramics I, Hong Kong, 1993, no. 121

Lot Essay

The extremely rare use of a turquoise glaze on this model makes it unique amongst such earth spirits. The model is also amongst the largest of such figures. Other Tang figures are known with the sparing use of turquoise, but usually applied to horses or equestrian groups. See the equestrian archer with turquoise used to highlight the rider's lapels and quiver, as well as the piebald markings on the horse, sold in these rooms December 1, 1988, lot 237

An earth spirit of almost the same size, decorated in sancai glazes only, is illustrated in Sui To no Bijutsu, Tokyo, 1978, col. pl. 1
The result of Oxford thermoluminescence test no. 866b48 is consistent with the dating of this lot