A rare large celadon jade horse head, Han dynasty | 漢　青玉馬首

Collection of Yamaguchi Kenshiro (1886-1957), Kobe.

Powerfully carved with a strong neck, flared nostrils, and bulging eyes, the present jade horse head is a testament to the masterful lapidary skills of the Han to Six Dynasties period. The craftsman has skilfully utilised the natural russet inclusions of the pale celadon stone to highlight the spirited vigour of the animal. During the Han dynasty, horses were highly revered as essential military assets and spiritual conduits. Emperor Wu famously sought 'heavenly horses' or tianma from the Ferghana valley, believing these magnificent creatures could carry the soul to the immortal realm. As Daoist faithful believed jade possessed the power to preserve the physical body, jade carvings of horses were highly prized mortuary artefacts intended to guide the tomb occupant into the heavens.

This carving likely formed part of a larger composite figure, dowelled together from separate sections. A related jade head of a horse of similar size, dated to the Han dynasty, is preserved in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, illustrated in Jessica Rawson and John Ayers. Chinese Jade throughout the Ages, London, 1975, no.197. Another closely related celadon and russet jade horse head, Han to Six Dynasties, from the Collection of Stephen Junkunc III, illustrated in Alfred Salmony, Chinese Jade Through the Wei Dynasty, New York, 1963, pl. XXXII-5, was sold in our New York rooms, 22nd September, lot 252.

來源

山口謙四郎（1886-1957年）收藏，神戶

青玉琢成，局部帶有褐斑。馬首線條遒勁，雙目圓睜，鼻孔微張，生動展現了漢至六朝時期玉雕匠人高超的技藝。匠人巧妙利用玉料天然的色澤與肌理，更添天馬剛健不凡的氣韻。漢代尊崇駿馬，不僅因其為保衛疆土之重要軍備，更賦予其神聖的宗教色彩。漢武帝曾遣使求取大宛「天馬」，深信此等神駒能載人升仙。同時，道家思想認為玉能防腐朽、保肉身，故此類玉雕神駒乃極為珍貴的隨葬明器，旨在引領墓主人靈魂升入仙界。

此件馬首原應為一件大型拼接玉馬之局部。參考一件尺寸相近的漢代玉馬首，現藏於倫敦維多利亞與艾伯特博物館（博物館編號：A.16-1935）。另可比較一件史蒂芬・瓊肯三世舊藏之青玉帶褐斑馬首，定年為漢至六朝，並出版於阿爾弗雷德・薩爾莫尼（Alfred Salmony）著，《Chinese Jade Through the Wei Dynasty》，紐約，1963年，圖版XXXII-5，後售於紐約蘇富比9月22日，拍品編號252。