16th Apr, 2026 11:00
TWO-DAY AUCTION: Fine Asian Art, Buddhism and Hinduism
140
A MONUMENTAL AND HIGHLY IMPORTANT SICHUAN POTTERY HORSE, HAN DYNASTY, THE LARGEST EVER RECORDED FROM THIS GROUP
€24,000
€50,000
A buyer’s premium of 30.00% (including VAT) applies to the hammer price of this lot if your bid is successful.
Expert’s note:
The present lot is the largest Han-dynasty pottery horse of this monumental scale currently recorded, surpassing in size the well-known green-glazed example in the Princeton University Art Museum (see Literature comparison), and ex aequo with an example sold at Christie’s New York on 16 September 1998, lot 295, height 156 cm (see Auction result comparison).
Scientific Analysis Reports: A thermoluminescence analysis report issued by Oxford Authentication on 6 January 2026, based on sample number C125s60, sets the firing date of all three samples taken between 1500 and 2400 years ago, consistent with the dating above. A copy of the report accompanies this lot.
China, 206 BC-220 AD. Impressively modeled striding proudly forward on well-formed legs, with head raised and ears alertly pricked, the lips of the prominent muzzle open wide exposing large teeth, with chevron eyebrows over prominent eyes, short bound tail, the saddle blanket lifting slightly at the corners.
Provenance: Weisbrod Chinese Art, New York, acquired from the above. Michael B. Weisbrod is a noted scholar of Chinese art, who has published extensively on the subject over a time span of more than 50 years. In 1972, Michael joined his father Dr. Gerald Weisbrod’s Asian art gallery in Toronto, Canada. The father-and-son team opened their New York location on Madison Avenue in 1977, and during the next 45 years the gallery held a significant number of exhibitions, selling to museums and private collectors across the globe, eventually adding further locations in Shanghai and Hong Kong.
Condition: Superb condition, fully commensurate with age. Expected wear is present, together with signs of weathering and erosion consistent with prolonged burial. There is no clear indication of modern repairs, even under extremely strong blue light; although such interventions must remain a distant possibility, any potential areas of filling, should they exist, could equally be inherent to the manufacturing process rather than later intervention. Also note that all three TL test samples provided the same result, further reducing the possibility of modern fills being present. Such an exceptional state of preservation is virtually unheard of and exceedingly rare among excavated Han-dynasty pottery figures. Small holes from sample-taking are present and now filled.
Dimensions: Height circa 156 cm, Length circa 132 cm, maximum diagonal extent circa 200 cm
This spectacularly large animal epitomizes the Han delight in horses. To combat the Xiongnu tribes on China's northern borders, the Han emperor Wudi brought some of the renowned tianma (heavenly horses) from the Ferghana area of Central Asia. These powerful horses were a favorite theme in Han art, whether in paintings, stone sculpture, bronzes such as the 'flying horse' of Gansu, or in ceramics. The horse had long been revered for its military importance and majestic beauty, and, as an allegory of wealth and the aristocracy, it featured in the tombs of all high-ranking individuals.
Extremely large prancing horses like the present lot bear relation to the famous group of large bronze 'flying horses' excavated in Gansu in 1969, see W. Watson, The Genius of China, London, 1973, Catalogue no. 222, where it is stated that this breed of tall horse was introduced from Central Asia at the beginning of the first century BC.
Literature comparison:
Horses, although not of this size, have been found a number of tombs within the Han empire. Among the most famous are those from the graves of the well-known Han dynasty minister Zhou Bo and his son excavated at Yangjiawan, Xianyang, Shaanxi province, see Los Angeles County Museum of Art, The Quest for Eternity, Thames and Hudson, 1987, Catalogue, nos. 11-15. A large prancing horse was excavated from a rock-face tomb at Majiashan, Xinduxian, Sichuan province, see Wenwu ziliao congkan, 1985, No. 9, pl. vi-5. In addition to the well-sculpted head, flaring nostrils and upwardly-curling top lip characteristic of these Han horses, typified by the large bronze horse excavated at Hejiashan, Jinyang, Sichuan province and recorded in Wenwu, 1991, no. 3, p. 9, pl. iii, the current example has emphatically defined hindquarters. A similar definition of the hindquarters can be seen on many of the lacquered horses found in a Western Han tomb at Shuangbaoshan, Yongxing, Mianyan, Sichuan province, see Wenwu, 1996, no. 10, p. 20, fig. 18, no. 2. A similarly rendered Eastern Han pottery horse, but covered in a green glaze and of slightly smaller size (139.7 cm. high), is in the collection of the Princeton University Art Museum, accession number 1997-32, where it is described as “among the largest examples of its kind found to date.”
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 16 September 1998, lot 295
Price: USD 145,500 or approx. EUR 248,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A massive Sichuan gray pottery figure of a striding horse, Han dynasty
Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling and size (156 cm).
Expert’s note:
The present lot is the largest Han-dynasty pottery horse of this monumental scale currently recorded, surpassing in size the well-known green-glazed example in the Princeton University Art Museum (see Literature comparison), and ex aequo with an example sold at Christie’s New York on 16 September 1998, lot 295, height 156 cm (see Auction result comparison).
Scientific Analysis Reports: A thermoluminescence analysis report issued by Oxford Authentication on 6 January 2026, based on sample number C125s60, sets the firing date of all three samples taken between 1500 and 2400 years ago, consistent with the dating above. A copy of the report accompanies this lot.
China, 206 BC-220 AD. Impressively modeled striding proudly forward on well-formed legs, with head raised and ears alertly pricked, the lips of the prominent muzzle open wide exposing large teeth, with chevron eyebrows over prominent eyes, short bound tail, the saddle blanket lifting slightly at the corners.
Provenance: Weisbrod Chinese Art, New York, acquired from the above. Michael B. Weisbrod is a noted scholar of Chinese art, who has published extensively on the subject over a time span of more than 50 years. In 1972, Michael joined his father Dr. Gerald Weisbrod’s Asian art gallery in Toronto, Canada. The father-and-son team opened their New York location on Madison Avenue in 1977, and during the next 45 years the gallery held a significant number of exhibitions, selling to museums and private collectors across the globe, eventually adding further locations in Shanghai and Hong Kong.
Condition: Superb condition, fully commensurate with age. Expected wear is present, together with signs of weathering and erosion consistent with prolonged burial. There is no clear indication of modern repairs, even under extremely strong blue light; although such interventions must remain a distant possibility, any potential areas of filling, should they exist, could equally be inherent to the manufacturing process rather than later intervention. Also note that all three TL test samples provided the same result, further reducing the possibility of modern fills being present. Such an exceptional state of preservation is virtually unheard of and exceedingly rare among excavated Han-dynasty pottery figures. Small holes from sample-taking are present and now filled.
Dimensions: Height circa 156 cm, Length circa 132 cm, maximum diagonal extent circa 200 cm
This spectacularly large animal epitomizes the Han delight in horses. To combat the Xiongnu tribes on China's northern borders, the Han emperor Wudi brought some of the renowned tianma (heavenly horses) from the Ferghana area of Central Asia. These powerful horses were a favorite theme in Han art, whether in paintings, stone sculpture, bronzes such as the 'flying horse' of Gansu, or in ceramics. The horse had long been revered for its military importance and majestic beauty, and, as an allegory of wealth and the aristocracy, it featured in the tombs of all high-ranking individuals.
Extremely large prancing horses like the present lot bear relation to the famous group of large bronze 'flying horses' excavated in Gansu in 1969, see W. Watson, The Genius of China, London, 1973, Catalogue no. 222, where it is stated that this breed of tall horse was introduced from Central Asia at the beginning of the first century BC.
Literature comparison:
Horses, although not of this size, have been found a number of tombs within the Han empire. Among the most famous are those from the graves of the well-known Han dynasty minister Zhou Bo and his son excavated at Yangjiawan, Xianyang, Shaanxi province, see Los Angeles County Museum of Art, The Quest for Eternity, Thames and Hudson, 1987, Catalogue, nos. 11-15. A large prancing horse was excavated from a rock-face tomb at Majiashan, Xinduxian, Sichuan province, see Wenwu ziliao congkan, 1985, No. 9, pl. vi-5. In addition to the well-sculpted head, flaring nostrils and upwardly-curling top lip characteristic of these Han horses, typified by the large bronze horse excavated at Hejiashan, Jinyang, Sichuan province and recorded in Wenwu, 1991, no. 3, p. 9, pl. iii, the current example has emphatically defined hindquarters. A similar definition of the hindquarters can be seen on many of the lacquered horses found in a Western Han tomb at Shuangbaoshan, Yongxing, Mianyan, Sichuan province, see Wenwu, 1996, no. 10, p. 20, fig. 18, no. 2. A similarly rendered Eastern Han pottery horse, but covered in a green glaze and of slightly smaller size (139.7 cm. high), is in the collection of the Princeton University Art Museum, accession number 1997-32, where it is described as “among the largest examples of its kind found to date.”
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 16 September 1998, lot 295
Price: USD 145,500 or approx. EUR 248,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A massive Sichuan gray pottery figure of a striding horse, Han dynasty
Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling and size (156 cm).
Please note that additional images and detailed information are available only upon request for lots with a starting price of 500 Euros or above in our Discovery Auctions.
If there are any existing additional images of this item, you can find them on this tab. You must be logged into your personal Zacke account to see the images. Click on an image to zoom or save.
Log in or sign up to view the natural light images.
Click here to request more information on this lot.
Zacke Live Online Bidding
Our online bidding platform makes it easier than ever to bid in our auctions! When you bid through our website, you can take advantage of our premium buyer's terms without incurring any additional online bidding surcharges.
To bid live online, you'll need to create an online account. Once your account is created and your identity is verified, you can register to bid in an auction up to 12 hours before the auction begins.
Intended Spend and Bid Limits
When you register to bid in an online auction, you will need to share your intended maximum spending budget for the auction. We will then review your intended spend and set a bid limit for you. Once you have pre-registered for a live online auction, you can see your intended spend and bid limit by going to 'Account Settings' and clicking on 'Live Bidding Registrations'.
Your bid limit will be the maximum amount you can bid during the auction. Your bid limit is for the hammer price and is not affected by the buyer’s premium and VAT. For example, if you have a bid limit of €1,000 and place two winning bids for €300 and €200, then you will only be able to bid €500 for the rest of the auction. If you try to place a bid that is higher than €500, you will not be able to do so.
Online Absentee and Telephone Bids
You can now leave absentee and telephone bids on our website!
Absentee Bidding
Once you've created an account and your identity is verified, you can leave your absentee bid directly on the lot page. We will contact you when your bids have been confirmed.
Telephone Bidding
Once you've created an account and your identity is verified, you can leave telephone bids online. We will contact you when your bids have been confirmed.
Classic Absentee and Telephone Bidding Form
You can still submit absentee and telephone bids by email or fax if you prefer. Simply fill out the Absentee Bidding/Telephone bidding form and return it to us by email at office@zacke.at or by fax at +43 (1) 532 04 52 20. You can download the PDF from our Upcoming Auctions page.
How-To Guides
How to Create Your Personal Zacke Account
How to Register to Bid on Zacke Live
How to Leave Absentee Bids Online
How to Leave Telephone Bids Online
中文版本的操作指南
创建新账号
注册Zacke Live在线直播竞拍（免平台费）
缺席投标和电话投标
Third-Party Bidding
We partner with best-in-class third-party partners to make it easy for you to bid online in the channel of your choice. Please note that if you bid with one of our third-party online partners, then there will be a live bidding surcharge on top of your final purchase price. You can find all of our fees here. Here's a full list of our third-party partners:
- 51 Bid Live
- EpaiLive
- ArtFoxLive
- Invaluable
- LiveAuctioneers
- the-saleroom
- lot-tissimo
- Drouot
Please note that we place different auctions on different platforms. For example, in general, we only place Chinese art auctions on 51 Bid Live.
Bidding in Person
You must register to bid in person and will be assigned a paddle at the auction. Please contact us at office@zacke.at or +43 (1) 532 04 52 for the latest local health and safety guidelines.
Auction: TWO-DAY AUCTION: Fine Asian Art, Buddhism and Hinduism, 16th Apr, 2026
Galerie Zacke is honored to present a major two-day live auction event, featuring 692 works of art from China, India, Southeast Asia, and beyond.
The highlight is our flagship live auction on Day 1 (lots 1-277), showcasing masterpieces of exceptional rarity and provenance. Among them are a monumental and unique gilt-copper head of Buddha, Tibet, 14th century, from the personal collection of Ulrich von Schroeder; an absolutely perfect green-glazed ‘dragon’ bowl, Kangxi mark and period, from the collection of J. J. Lally; one of the largest ever found jade disks, bi, Qijia culture, 74 cm diameter, authenticated by Dr. Gu Fang, collection of Lord Anthony Jacobs, London; a monumental and highly important Sichuan pottery horse, Han dynasty, at a staggering height of 156 cm and a diagonal of over 200 cm, the largest ever recorded from this group, from the Weisbrod collection and TL tested by Oxford Authentication; and the monumental and highly important ‘Kienzle’ stucco statue of Buddha, Gandhara, circa 3rd–5th century, the largest recorded example of its type, rescued during the Taliban advance in 1994.
Day 2 (lots 278-692) continues with our general auction, offering seasoned collectors and new bidders alike an opportunity to enhance their collections. Learn more.
Classic Bidding Form Telephone Bidding Form
Viewing
8 - 15 April 2026
Monday - Friday, 10 am - 6 pm
as well as by appointment
Our Terms and Conditions
As part of our ongoing efforts to keep our auctions fair and transparent, we encourage you to read our terms and conditions thoroughly. We urge you to read through §34-50) to ensure you understand them. These terms are specifically designed to protect all serious and committed buyers from bidding against non-payers who attempt to inflate prices without the intent of paying their auction bills.
For further reading about non-payers at auction, go here: https://www.zacke.at/aboutnonpayers/.
The main points include the following:
- Bidders must complete their due diligence and clarify all questions about the objects before the auction. After the auction, Zacke will not answer questions from bidders unless the purchase price has been paid in full. Of course, this does not apply to questions concerning shipping, insurance, customs, etc.
- A sale cancellation of any kind after the fall of the hammer is not possible. The only exception to this fundamental rule is our guarantee of authenticity [the Guarantee].
- A Guarantee Claim, however, can only be raised after the purchase price has been paid in full by the buyer and within 45 days after the auction day.
If you have any questions about our policies, please get in touch with us at office@zacke.at.
By placing a bid, you agree to our Terms of Auction and Terms and Conditions.
