A LARGE SANCAI-GLAZED POTTERY FIGURE OF A HORSE TANG DYNASTY

well-moulded, standing foursquare with head turned slightly to the left, the head well-articulated with ears pricked, eyes bulging and nostrils flared, the arching neck with cream-glazed mane, a bright green-glazed saddlecloth draped over the high ridged saddle and gathered in pleats to either side, all over a cream and amber-glazed saddle blanket, the body covered with a rich mottled amber glaze with green-glazed hooves, wood stand, Japanese wood box

This large and impressive brightly glazed horse is in very good condition with the exception of three circa 1cm., oval areas of misfire to the rump of the horse, a 2cm., wide glaze flake to the top front edge of the saddle, a 5mm., flake to the top back edge of the saddle, loss to the glaze on the tail and very small flakes of glaze around the body.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The splendid modelling of this horse, which gives the impression of tamed strength and power, is emphasised by the simplicity of the adornment. It is a naturalistic rendering of the fabled ‘celestial’ or ‘blood-sweating’ Ferghana horse captures , introduced into China from Central Asia during the Han dynasty (206 BC-AD 220), and immortalised in Chinese literature and the visual arts. They were celebrated for their speed, power and stamina. The renowned court artist Han Gan (AD 720-60) changed the nature of horse representation when he depicted one of Emperor Xuanzong’s (r. AD 847-59) favourite horses, Night-Shining White (now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art), in a realistic rather than supernatural manner.

Many large Tang horses are depicted with elaborate trappings, indicating the use of the horse in ceremonial parades, while the saddled or plain harness appears to have been customary for more functional outings, and is of a type rarely seen on large sancai horses. Compare a similarly well-modelled horse coated with a pale yellow glaze sold in our New York rooms, 26th March 1971, lot 134; and a dark ochre-glazed horse sold at Christie’s London, 11th December 1978. A slightly smaller example, included in the exhibition Seeking Immortality, Early Chinese Ceramics from the Schloss Collection, Bruce Museum, London, 1998, cat. no. 165, was sold at Christie’s New York, 21st September 2000, lot 270, from the Schloss collection.

Horses have long been a symbol of status and wealth and this sculpture reflects the high rank and importance of its owner, particularly as the ownership of horses was an aristocratic privilege. The use of Tang sancai ware was discussed at a recent symposium at National Taiwan University, Taipei, February 2015, where it was suggested that it was used both in daily life as utilitarian vessels or religious objects and as funerary goods, but primarily by the upper and wealthy classes. See also Hsie Mingliang, The World of Ancient Chinese Lead-Glazed Wares: from the Warring States to Tang, Taipei, 2014, pp. 85-118.