A fine sancai-glazed pottery figure of a Ferghana horse, Tang dynasty (618-907)

Lot 398. A fine sancai-glazed pottery figure of a Ferghana horse, Tang dynasty (618-907). H. 51,5 cm. Estimate 4.000/6.000 €. Lot sold 4.000 €. Courtesy Nagel

the horse is shown standing foursquare on a rectangular plinth with head raised and mouth closed. The head is well detailed with expressive eyes and slightly flared nostrils set below a split forelock, and the muscular neck is emphasized by the hogged mane. The unglazed-glazed saddle is set atop a contrasting amber-glazed blanket, and the trappings are molded with tendrils in amber and bright green glazes that drain attractively on the straw-glazed body. Restored breaks, partly over painted.

Provenance: From the collection of a member of the Family Baron von Goldschmidt-Rothschild, formerly Palais Grüneburg, Frankfurt on the Main.

Note: This large and elegantly-proportioned horse embodies the power of this celebrated animal. The most magnificent breed, immortalized in Chinese literature and the visual arts, was the Ferghana horse, introduced into central China from the West during the Han dynasty (206 BC-AD 220). These were the fabled 'celestial' or 'blood-sweating' horses, known for their speed, power, and stamina. The renowned court artist Han Gan (active 742-56) changed the nature of Chinese horse painting when he depicted one of Emperor Xuanzong's (r. 712-56) favorite horses, Night-Shining White (now in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art), in a realistic rather than supernatural manner. This development parallels the realism of Tang arts in general, and is exemplified by this fine horse.

Han Gan (Chinese, active ca. 742–756), Night-Shining White, Tang dynasty (618–907), ca. 750. Handscroll; ink on paper. Image: 12 1/8 x 13 3/8 in. (30.8 x 34 cm). Overall with mounting: 14 in. x 37 ft. 5 1/8 in. (35.4 cm x 11.4 m). Purchase, The Dillon Fund Gift, 1977, 1977.78 © 2000–2017 The Metropolitan Museum of Art