Expert’s note: The horse, with its tall stature and heavily creased muzzle, aligns well with other known examples from the period. The additional presence of manganese deposits on the surface is a very attractive sight for any collector of early pottery.

China, circa 7-8^th century. A strongly modeled striding horse, standing with head turned and ears pricked, the mane hogged and tail docked, the body with incised and painted details.

Provenance: P.Y. Tong, Hong Kong, 2003. A noted Greek private collection, acquired from the above, and thence by descent.
Condition: Some old repair and touchups as generally expected from Tang dynasty excavations. Extensive wear, losses, fissures, encrustations, firing flaws, signs of weathering and erosion. Remnants of pigment. Fine, naturally grown, dark patina. Overall, good condition, commensurate with age and displaying very well.

Weight: 4,940 g
Dimensions: Height 43.3 cm, Length 41 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.

Literature comparison:
Compare with a related painted gray pottery horse illustrated in R. Jacobsen, Celestial Horses & Long Sleeve Dancers: The David W. Dewey Collection of Ancient Chinese Tomb Sculpture, Chicago, 2013, pp. 220-221 (one of the pair), where the author notes that this particular breed of foreign horse was favored by the Xuanzhong Emperor (r. 667-731) in equine dancing performances on the occasion of his birthday.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s, New York, 29 March 2005, lot 249.
Price: USD 72,000 or approx. EUR 99,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A rare large painted grey pottery figure of a horse
Expert remark: Despite the much larger size (81.2 cm), we are clearly looking at the same breed of horse, with identical modeling to the parted forelock, the muzzle, the muscles above the elbow, and the tail.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely Related
Auction: Sotheby's, New York, 29 March 2022, lot 670.
Price: USD 23,940 or approx. EUR 22,000 converted at the time of writing
Description: A pair of painted pottery figures of horses, Tang dynasty
Expert remark: While also of larger size, this pair of horses is important as they exhibit a nearly identical patina, with large splotches of manganese on the gray body. This pair also exhibits the large cavity to the underside of the belly and a pronounced dip behind the shoulders for a saddle. Together, the comparisons suggest that the group of horses we are looking at is a unique breed of horse that was prominent during the Tang era.

唐初大型灰陶馬
描述：中國，約七至八世紀。通體素面，造型敦實。馬作直立狀，右腿向前邁出，昂首挺胸，腰肥體壯，雙耳豎立，小耳大眼，目光垂視，鼻翼翕張，尾巴上翹，身軀健碩。

專家注釋：這匹馬身材高大，口鼻部皺紋很重，表面上存在的錳礦床對於任何早期陶器收藏家來說都是非常有吸引力。

來源：香港頁Y. Tong收藏，2003年。知名希臘私人收藏，購於上述收藏，保存至今。
品相：一些修復，廣泛磨損、缺損、裂縫、結殼、燒製缺陷、風化和侵蝕的跡象。色素殘留。精細、自然生長的深色包漿。

重量：4,940 克
尺寸：高43.3 厘米，Length 41 厘米

文獻比較：
比較一件相近的彩繪灰馬俑，見 R. Jacobsen，《Celestial Horses & Long Sleeve Dancers: The David W. Dewey Collection of Ancient Chinese Tomb Sculpture》，芝加哥，2013年，頁 220-221 (一對中的一件)，作者指出，唐玄宗（667-731 年在位）在其誕辰之際表演舞馬時，很喜歡這種特殊品種的外國馬。

拍賣結果比較：
形制：非常相近
拍賣：紐約佳士得，2005年3月29日，lot 249
價格：USD 72,000（相當於今日EUR 99,500）
描述：唐初期大型彩繪灰陶馬
專家評論：雖然尺寸較大 (81.2 厘米)，但很明顯是同一品種的馬，分岔的前額瀏海、嘴部、肘部以上的肌肉和尾巴都具有相同的造型。

拍賣結果比較：
形制：非常相近
拍賣：紐約佳士得，2022年3月29日，lot 670
價格：USD 23,940（相當於今日EUR 22,000）
描述：唐陶加彩馬一對
專家評論：雖然也是尺寸較大，但呈現出幾乎相同的銅綠，灰色身體上有大量斑點。 這對還展示了腹部下方和明顯的馬鞍後肩後傾角。總之，這些比較表明，我們看到的這群馬是唐代有名的獨特馬種。