17th Dec, 2024 11:00
Fine Asian Art Holiday Sale
238
A PAINTED AND GILT POTTERY FIGURE OF A PRANCING HORSE, TANG DYNASTY
Sold for €910
including Buyer's Premium
China, 618-907. Standing foursquare with its mouth open, the ears pricked, and the short, knotted tail flicked out in a dynamic pose, the horse is caparisoned with a saddle covered with a cloth gathered on the sides atop the black-striped mud guard, and the chest strap, crupper, and bridal are hung with gilt ornaments.
Provenance P.C. Lu Works of Art Ltd, Hong Kong. From a private collection in the northeastern United States, acquired from the above. Started as a small business in January 1976 in Hong Kong, selling Chinese antiques, P.C. Lu was able to scale operations, eventually sending his son Fred to the MIT to pursue his PhD. Today, many objects from his fine collection are housed in the British Museum.
Condition: Some repair, fills and touchups as generally expected from Tang dynasty excavations. Losses, chips, scratches, fissures, and soil encrustations. Extensive wear to pigments and gilt. Overall presenting remarkably well.
Weight: 2,796 g
Dimensions: Length 47 cm
Horses were admired for their speed and intelligence during the Tang dynasty. Not only were they important in the realms of travel and war, but they also played a significant role in the leisurely activities of the nobility. The Tang nobility was legendary for their love of horses, so much so that the court passed a law in 667 AD that allowed only members of the elite to ride. Noble families might own literally thousands of horses, with different breeds for use in the cavalry, hunting, and polo. Pottery horses of this size appear most often without trappings, most likely so that they could be outfitted with materials that have long since perished.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Galerie Zacke, Vienna, 5 March 2021, lot 139
Price: EUR 24,016 or approx. EUR 26,500 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A large painted pottery figure of a prancing horse, Tang dynasty
Expert remark: Note the similarly ornamented caparison. Note the size (length 58 cm).
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 22 March 2013, lot 1161
Price: USD 40,000 or approx. EUR 48,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A painted pottery figure of a prancing horse, Tang dynasty
Expert remark: Note the similarly ornamented caparison. Note the size (40.7 cm long).
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 19 September 2014, lot 719
Price: USD 40,000 or approx. EUR 48,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A painted pottery figure of a prancing horse, Tang dynasty
Expert remark: Note the similarly shortened tail. Note the size (44.3 cm high).
China, 618-907. Standing foursquare with its mouth open, the ears pricked, and the short, knotted tail flicked out in a dynamic pose, the horse is caparisoned with a saddle covered with a cloth gathered on the sides atop the black-striped mud guard, and the chest strap, crupper, and bridal are hung with gilt ornaments.
Provenance P.C. Lu Works of Art Ltd, Hong Kong. From a private collection in the northeastern United States, acquired from the above. Started as a small business in January 1976 in Hong Kong, selling Chinese antiques, P.C. Lu was able to scale operations, eventually sending his son Fred to the MIT to pursue his PhD. Today, many objects from his fine collection are housed in the British Museum.
Condition: Some repair, fills and touchups as generally expected from Tang dynasty excavations. Losses, chips, scratches, fissures, and soil encrustations. Extensive wear to pigments and gilt. Overall presenting remarkably well.
Weight: 2,796 g
Dimensions: Length 47 cm
Horses were admired for their speed and intelligence during the Tang dynasty. Not only were they important in the realms of travel and war, but they also played a significant role in the leisurely activities of the nobility. The Tang nobility was legendary for their love of horses, so much so that the court passed a law in 667 AD that allowed only members of the elite to ride. Noble families might own literally thousands of horses, with different breeds for use in the cavalry, hunting, and polo. Pottery horses of this size appear most often without trappings, most likely so that they could be outfitted with materials that have long since perished.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Galerie Zacke, Vienna, 5 March 2021, lot 139
Price: EUR 24,016 or approx. EUR 26,500 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A large painted pottery figure of a prancing horse, Tang dynasty
Expert remark: Note the similarly ornamented caparison. Note the size (length 58 cm).
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 22 March 2013, lot 1161
Price: USD 40,000 or approx. EUR 48,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A painted pottery figure of a prancing horse, Tang dynasty
Expert remark: Note the similarly ornamented caparison. Note the size (40.7 cm long).
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 19 September 2014, lot 719
Price: USD 40,000 or approx. EUR 48,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A painted pottery figure of a prancing horse, Tang dynasty
Expert remark: Note the similarly shortened tail. Note the size (44.3 cm high).
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