Page 88 - Christie's London May 14, 2019 Chinese Works of Art

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A RARE MASSIVE GREEN JADE RECUMBENT HORSE
18TH CENTURY
The impressive horse is fnely carved in a recumbent position with head slightly raised, with all four legs
tucked underneath the body. The mane falls on both sides of the neck behind the forward-pricked ears,
and the long tail is ficked over the haunch. The details of the mane are well incised and the muscular body
and head are naturalistically and sympathetically modelled. The softly polished stone is of a rich, deep
green tone with cloudy white fecked inclusions.
16⅛ in. (41 cm.) wide, carved zitan stand
£80,000-120,000 US$110,000-160,000
€93,000-140,000
PROVENANCE:
By repute, Collection of Prince Kung (1833-98), according to Spink invoice.
With Spink & Son Ltd., London, 17 May 1956.
Private English Collection, acquired by the vendor's grandmother in 1956, and thence by descent within
the family.

清十八世紀 青玉臥馬

來源:
傳恭王府舊藏,1956年8月1日Spink & Son Ltd.發票
(Spink Invoice)
1956年5月17日購自倫敦古董商Spink & Son Ltd.
英國私人珍藏,現藏家祖母於1956年所購,家傳至今

Nobility in Repose – A Majestic Jade Horse level but through an elaborate system of stud farms the number of horses
Rosemary Scott, Senior, International Academic was raised from 5,000 to 706,000 during the frst ffty years of the dynasty.
Consultant, Asia Art The stud farms were established in Gansu, Shanxi and Shaanxi, each ideally
with 50,000 horses, which were assigned to herds of 120 animals. The
This massive and naturalistic jade carving of a recumbent horse is horses were also carefully crossed with various breeds from diferent parts
remarkable on a number of levels. Firstly, the jade boulder required to of central Asia in order to achieve the perfect blend of strength and agility.
provide the raw material from which this horse was carved would have It is signifcant that in 703 the Tang court received several fne Arab horses.
been exceptionally large. Secondly, the lapidary who created the horse has Virginia Bowers has noted that: ‘The most prized mounts for battle, hunting,
successfully managed to convey that the animal is tranquilly in repose, while and polo were quite large, perhaps sixteen hands. They had a heavier frame
still capturing its essential power. The head of the animal in particular has than today’s thoroughbreds yet their thin legs, agility, and lively manner made
been skilfully rendered to give the impression of both noble strength and them diferent from present-day draft horses. A contemporary polo player
quiet intelligence. Thirdly, by repute, this jade horse was formerly in the was amazed that the ‘heavy’ horses depicted in the mural in Crown Prince
collection of Prince Gong (Kung), sixth son of the Daoguang Emperor, (r. Zhanghuai’s tomb could be so nimble. These Tang horses ... have the same
1821-1850). Given the magnifcence of this horse and the rarity of jades of heavy body and ‘Roman’ nose – quite diferent from today’s classic Arabian
this size and quality, it seems entirely reasonable that the horse came from horses – as the horses ridden by the Sasanians, and many authorities
the collection of a senior member of the imperial family. speculate that they were all descendants of the famous ‘imperial’ Nisean
breed of Achaemenid Persia, as pictured at Persepolis.’ (Virginia Bower, ‘Polo
Horses long have had a long association with rank and privilege in China, in Tang China – Sport and Art’, Asian Art, Winter 1991, pp. 27, 32.)
and, from the Bronze Age onwards, there has been a spiritual and artistic
fascination with them. Horses were valued, not only as animals which could The large stone carvings of horses created for the tomb of the Tang emperor
be ridden for hunting, sport and for display but, perhaps most importantly, Taizong (AD 626-49) also emphasise their high value and prestige. Imperial
as creatures of war. The use of horses to draw war chariots and as steeds for concern with horse stock and pride in their ownership continued through
cavalry proved crucial in China’s internal and external conficts. During the the dynasties and horses were depicted in art in a range of media. Paintings
Han dynasty (206 BC-AD 220), the famed Ferghana horses were introduced of horses became popular, particularly in the Yuan dynasty and remained
into central China from the West. These revered horses were known for a favourite theme. In the reign of the Qing dynasty Qianlong Emperor (AD
their speed, power and stamina, and were sometimes referred to as ‘blood- 1736-95) the importance accorded to horses by the sovereign can clearly
sweating’ horses, or ‘thousand li horses’, after the belief that they were able be seen in depictions of horses sent as tribute, and by the sheer number of
to cover a thousand li in a single day. In the Tang dynasty (AD 618-907) paintings of horses commissioned by the emperor from the Jesuit missionary
horses were regarded as so essential to military capability and the defence artist Giuseppe Castiglione (Lang Shining 1688-1766) alone. Some of these
of the realm, that their breeding was considered of national importance. At paintings were of individual horses from the imperial stud and their names
the beginning of the Tang dynasty China’s horse population was at a very low are inscribed on the paintings.

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