Page 191 - 2019 September 11th Sotheby's Important Chinese Art

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A LARGE AMBER-GLAZED POTTERY Among examples of similarly posed prancing or saddle, allowing the artisan to draw focus to
FIGURE OF A PRANCING HORSE horses, glazed examples are extremely rare. its powerful physicality and spirited nature. The
TANG DYNASTY The application of the viscous, colorful glazes naturalistic choice of an amber glaze enhances
is more usually seen on horses in static poses the strong linear contours of the modeling and
naturalistically modeled in spirited pose with which are often embellished with elaborate harmonizes perfectly to form an elegant beast
a briskly raised right foreleg and head uplifted saddles and trappings, providing a texturally that is as much animated as it is poised.
and turning slightly leftward, mouth agape, rich surface for decorative glaze patterns. Only three other glazed examples of similar
flaring nostrils and bulging eyes, the forelock The dynamic pose with its animated prancing form appear to be known; an amber-glazed
flaring and swept back towards the cropped and turned head imbue the figure with vitality horse that closely resembles the present figure
mane, the tail docked and bound, the muscular and convey the high regard bestowed upon
body covered in a dark chestnut-colored glaze, similarly well-bred and highly trained horses is illustrated in Tang, Eskenazi, London, 1987,
cat. no. 39; a smaller figure was offered in
the forelock, mane, blaze and tail picked out in at the time. Horses during the Tang dynasty our London rooms, 9th June 1992, lot 97 and
a pale-yellow straw glaze were symbols of wealth and power and horse a straw-glazed prancing horse with amber-
Height 29 in., 73.7 cm breeding reached its apex during this period glazed splashes from the British Rail Pension
when most of the prestigious breeds from
PROVENANCE Central Asian countries such as Samarkand, Fund collection sold in our London rooms,
Collection of Dr. Edith B. Farnsworth (1903- Khotan and Gandhara were introduced to 12th December 1989, lot 60 and again in these
rooms, 20th March 2019, lot 650.
1977). China. The Tang aristocracy’s love for horses
Gifted to the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, is much exemplified by the present horse which $ 40,000-60,000
in 1969 (acc. no. 1969.947). is represented unencumbered by any trappings

唐 褐釉馬
來源
Edith B. Farnsworth 醫生 (1903-1977) 收藏
1969年贈予芝加哥藝術博物館，芝加哥，
館藏編號1969.947

EARLY CHINESE CERAMICS FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO 189