A painted red pottery female polo player astride a galloping pony

TANG DYNASTY

Details

A painted red pottery female polo player astride a galloping pony
Tang Dynasty
The galloping horse covered in a white slip and extending all four legs to their fullest in mid air, the female polo-player seated firmly in the saddle with legs stretched forwards above the front legs, her body twisted to the left, her arms raised to swing, dressed in orange-red jacket and brown trousers, her black hair drawn up into a platted knot, details picked out in black and red pigment (some restoration to the legs)
41.5 cm long

Lot Essay

The result of the thermoluminescence test, Oxford C97-H67, is consistent with the dating of this lot.

This polo-player is closely related to the well-known group of four female polo-players in the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, referred to in the Handbook of the Collections, Kansas City, 1959, p. 208; cf. also M. Medley, Tang Pottery and Porcelain, pl.41, p.51; compare further the polo-player exhibited at the International Exhibition of Chinese Art, Royal Academy of Arts, London, 1935-36, Catalogue, pl.2432, p.223.

A similar polo-player and pony was sold in these Rooms, 19 November 1996, lot 248 and 13 May 1997, lot 245

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