Page 138 - Christie's Hong Kong May 31, 2017 Important Chinese Ceramics and Art

PROPERTY FROM THE CHINHUATANG COLLECTION

3111

A MAGNIFICENT SANCAI-GLAZED
CAPARISONED HORSE AND A GROOM

TANG DYNASTY (618-907)

The horse is well modelled standing foursquare on a
rectangular plinth, with head turned slightly to the left and
ears pricked in opposite directions, the rakish forelock,
sweeping mane, legs and rump covered in a rich amber glaze
above a cream glaze, the heavily textured saddle blanket scored
and built up in imitation of fur and covered in a mix of green,
amber and straw glazes, the garland with florette-moulded
trappings. The groom standing on a square plinth wears a
short robe glazed in amber, the lapel highlighted in green.
Horse: 31 º in. (79.5 cm.) long;
groom: 23 º in. (59 cm.) high

HK$4,500,000-6,000,000 US$590,000-780,000

PROVENANCE

The Dexinshuwu Collection, acquired in Taipei prior to 1996
The Chinhuatang Collection, Taipei

EXHIBITED

Chang Foundation, Ching Wan Society Millennium Exhibition,
Taipei, 2000, Catalogue, pl. 66

It is rare to find such an elaborately caparisoned sancai horse in
this size. The thick, textured blanket covering the saddle is a very
unusual feature and a smaller sancai horse (47.6 cm.) with a very
similar blanket was sold at Christie’s New York, 20 September
2002, lot 255. Compare also to horses with a variety of trappings
and different treatments of the long mane illustrated in Luoyang
Tang sancai, pl. 72, and pl. 67; in the revised Sekai toji zenshu, vol.
11, pl. 193; in the Eisei Bunko, Tokyo; in the Idemitsu Museum of
Art 15th Anniversary Catalogue, 1981, no. 204; by M. Prodan, The
Art of the T’ang Potter, New York, 1961, col. pl. I; and by E. Schloss,
Ancient Chinese Ceramic Sculpture, Stanford, 1977, vol. II, col. pl. V.
Refer, also, to an important massive sancai Ferghana horse sold at
Christie’s, New York, 21 March 2002, lot 103.

The result of Oxford Authentication thermoluminescence test no.
C298j86 (18 January 1999) is consistent with the dating of the
horse.

唐 三彩馬及牽馬俑

來源
德馨書屋舊藏，1996年以前購於台北
金華堂珍藏

展覽
鴻禧美術館，《千禧年清翫雅集收藏展》，台北，2000
年，圖版66號

此馬體態碩大矯健，造型傳神生動，馬鞍及配件華麗繁複，馬鞍上
仿皺摺皮革的側襟更是逼真自然，尤為難得。紐約佳士得2002年9
月20日曾拍賣一件較小的唐三彩馬 （47.6公分），拍品255號，造
型姿態與本馬大至相同，馬鞍上同樣披皺摺側襟，可資參考。

此馬經牛津熱釋光測年法檢測 （測試編號C298j86；1999年1月18
日），證實與本圖錄之定年符合。

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