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Pottery fgures of polo players fall into two categories: dynamic and illustrated by J. Fontein and Wu Tung in Han and Tang Murals,
riders seated on horses shown in full “fying gallop”, with no Boston, 1976, p. 101, nos. 122-25, col. pl. 15. For a full discussion
support or stand, and elegant riders seated stifly on horses of polo see, Robert Harrist, Jr., Power and Virtue, The Horse in
standing on a rectangular base. The present fgures belong to the Chinese Art, China Institute in America, New York, 1997, pp.
frst category, as do the four similar fgures of female polo players 74-75, nos. 11 and 12. Also see Colin Mackenzie and Irving Finkel
in the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, referred to in (eds.), Asian Games: The Art of Contest, Asia Society, New York,
Handbook of the Collections, vol. II, Art of the Orient, Kansas City, 2004, pp. 282-303, where the authors note, p. 285, that many
1973, p. 81. See, also, the fgure in the Tenri Museum in Japan, women played polo and according to the poet Wang Jian (c. 751-
illustrated by Hasebe and Sato, Sekai toji zenshu, vol. 11, Tokyo, 830), “they were especially noted for their deftness at executing
1976, pl. 183. back-hand shots.” This is corroborated by ceramic tomb fgures
of female polo players which show them appropriately dressed in
The earliest literary and visual evidence of polo in China dates close-ftting attire.
from the 7th and 8th centuries, including stories of polo-playing
emperors and members of the imperial family. A mural depicting The result of Oxford thermoluminescence test no. 566p1 is
a game of polo, datable to the years AD 706-11, found in the tomb consistent with the dating of this lot.
of Li Xian, Crown Prince Zhanghuai (AD 654-84), is discussed
唐 陶打馬球女俑三尊
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