Page 182 - Nov. 27, 2019 Christie's Important Works of Art HK

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A VERY WELL-MODELLED SANCAI- ߣ ˖ྑ㪐
GLAZED CAPARISONED HORSE
ϝᬝ
TANG DYNASTY (618-907)
ჺ ᝲ㐟ᙻ㲞ᳰ
The horse is shown standing four-square on a rectangular base.
Its harnessed head is tilted slightly sideways. The neck is grooved ᫉㲬⭬⚁卿㲬␓㬖⫭卿୨⭯⏜⛁ᙻ㧩ᙹリჹᏤ័ӳǯ㲬㯔㖅ཎ卿⊶शႚ
for a mane, with rakish forelock swept back beneath pricked ears. ۞卿ᐠ㶓⒜ཫ卿㕇㴯㎒┣ǯ㲬⫫㭘㮈ᐠᝳಳ⣔⢬ᬫₕ㪢᯵卿⬍߿⫍ᇌ⢧
Its back carries a heavily textured saddle blanket in imitation of ս⣔ⰰᗫ⬍㭫჌卿჌ӳԐᝳភⱤ卿Ԇߎڬपᓔ୨‷ឫ⶟ᆨௗ㱈卿ӳ㇏ᇵ
fur and is covered in a green glaze. The floret-moulded trappings, ᆨ㏧Ɽ卿࠼Ԡ㿽ս⣔ᆭ卿㑷㇦ڔ႙⡿⮏ǯ⩧᧘ࣇԠ᳖ᜁ卿⯎ײ⡠㱈⬛⢧
its chest and crupper straps, are crisply decorated with suspended ᫓᫓ज㇦ǯ㯔ӳ㗖㱈كݥ卿૤㈍ݦڬᝳ㈍ᆨ㥛卿㲬⢧㯔ࣿࡘӳ㭜ऱ᧙㱈
heart-shaped leaf medallions handsomely tinted in straw and սᇵᆨ㏧Ɽǯ㲬㕇ս㿩㞏ἃ஠卿Ԇᝳ⣔㞏⎊ᙚ㿽⣧ݯԋǯݯ㭘㮈㗖㱈Ԡ
bright green glazes. The body of the horse is glazed in a rich dark ⵖ㿃卿݋֍㵲→৿՞ⵖ㏟ԧ㳾⎏བ᫋⠢▵ǯ
chestnut, with trickling pooling around the hooves. The unglazed ൈ᫉㲬㗖㱈Ԡ㯸ַ։卿जࣻ⩠Ӭ։ⶬ㢙ᙻ㲞ᳰᘨ᭯⠢⯣ཿ㈇எ㢙卿Ƕԋ
bulging eyes show traces of pigment.
இ㪃≢㪿㫀Ƿ卿㲞ᳰ卿 ჺ卿⤔⽚ 厎औᝳݦ։㇦ᙻǶ䂆ᯛ㫀ⱥ厍
18¿ in. (46 cm.) high, box
ࠛ᥉ 㙉ჺ⡕ჺǷ卿ែ՗卿ӳݺ卿 ჺ卿எ‸⤔⽚ ࣿ 厎
HK$3,000,000-5,000,000 US$390,000-640,000 Ƕ"ODJFOU $IJOFTF $FSBNJD 4DVMQUVSFǷ卿✄ ݺ卿टԕ◙卿 ჺ卿
ᆭⰰஎ‸ 7厎 ࣇ✄໫⡢᯳ᙱ⧻ワ㱦߅‸⎏Ƕ#FBVUZ BOE 5SBORVJMJUZ 5IF
PROVENANCE &MJ -JMMZ $PMMFDUJPO PG $IJOFTF "SUǷ卿 ჺ卿㮰 卿எ‸ 厎
Acquired in Hong Kong, September 1982 սࣿែ՗இ⛁ࢷ⁒㱦㱦⻦Ӭ։卿㖊ᙻǶ0SJFOUBM $FSBNJDT 5IF 8PSME T
Sancai horses of this type are distinguished by their realistically (SFBU $PMMFDUJPOTǷ卿✄ ݺ卿ែ՗卿 ჺ卿ᆭⰰஎ‸ ǯ
modelled mane, the foliate-based 'metal' trappings and simulated fur
saddle blankets. A comparable horse was included in the Min Chiu
Society exhibition, Ancient Chinese Ceramics, Hong Kong, 1980, no. 13.
Compare, also, E. Schloss, Mayuyama, Seventy Years, vol. I, Tokyo, 1976,
pls. 202 and 203; Ancient Chinese Ceramic Sculpture, vol. II, Stanford,
Connecticut, 1977, col. pl. V; Yutaka Mino and J. Robinson, Beauty and
Tranquility: The Eli Lilly Collection of Chinese Art, Indianapolis Museum
of Art, 1983, pp. 174-175, pl. 61; and one in the Tokyo National Museum,
illustrated in Oriental Ceramics, The World's Great Collections, vol. 1,
Tokyo, 1982, col. pl. 64.
The present horse and those cited all share a lavishness and diversity
of ornamentation reflecting that of the real horses on which they were
modelled with such skill.

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