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Lot Essay
The ceramic horses of the Tang dynasty were either decorated with sancai (three-color) glazes, like the current example, or were unglazed and cold-painted. Both techniques were extremely successful. The sancai glazes produced brilliant, lasting colors, emphasizing the horses’ powerful bodies and elaborate sprig-molded trappings. The current figure is a superb example of its type, and is unusual in being shown striding, rather than standing rigidly foursquare as most glazed horses are shown.
The horse depicted here is the revered ‘blood-sweating’ horse, which was introduced into China from the west during the Han dynasty. These Ferghana horses were known for their speed, power and stamina, qualities which are brought out by the masterful hand of the artist. They were thought to have descended from celestial horses, and were symbols of great status for those who owned them.
Compare the similarly glazed figure of a horse, with cream-glazed body, green-glazed tassels, amber-glazed mane and unglazed saddle and saddle cloth, but shown standing foursquare, sold at Christie’s New York, 17 September 2008, lot 412.
The result of Oxford Authentication Ltd. thermoluminescence test no. 166m40 is consistent with the dating of this lot.
The horse depicted here is the revered ‘blood-sweating’ horse, which was introduced into China from the west during the Han dynasty. These Ferghana horses were known for their speed, power and stamina, qualities which are brought out by the masterful hand of the artist. They were thought to have descended from celestial horses, and were symbols of great status for those who owned them.
Compare the similarly glazed figure of a horse, with cream-glazed body, green-glazed tassels, amber-glazed mane and unglazed saddle and saddle cloth, but shown standing foursquare, sold at Christie’s New York, 17 September 2008, lot 412.
The result of Oxford Authentication Ltd. thermoluminescence test no. 166m40 is consistent with the dating of this lot.