Chinese School

ink and color on silk, handscroll
the horizontal scroll depicting a procession of six foreign figures with three richly caparisoned horses, followed by colophons and dragon roundels on yellow paper, the label of the scroll inscribed 'Tang dynasty'

Acquired in the 1960's / 1970's by the present owner.

The scroll is in good condition considering its age. The silk has darkened with age, with some old repairs and minor loss to silk. Old creases have been repaired, visible by the verticle strips used to adhere the silk to the mount. There are small pieces of scotch tape on the back of the mounting.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Tang dynasty rulers favored procession or tribute paintings featuring foreign envoys with their horses. Such depictions of Westerners at the Tang Imperial court reflected the cosmopolitan nature of the period. This iconography is also evident in Yuan dynasty paintings, where the emperor Huidi (reigned 1333-1368) is said to have been so taken with a gift of exotic horses by the Catholic Church of France that he commissioned paintings commemorating such tributes. The present example is very possibly one of many later works based on these paintings.

Compare a similar scroll 'Foreigners Bringing a Tribute of Horses', in the Freer Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., attributed to the Ming dynasty; and a slightly earlier example 'Tribute Bearers', in the Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, attributed to approximately 1320-1370, signed by Ren Bowen.