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LOT 2018
Chinese Tang Terracotta Horse and Rider
TANG DYNASTY, 618-907 A.D. OR LATER
11 5/8 in. (1.54 kg, 29.5 cm).
Modelled on a rectangular base, the horse standing with a rounded saddlecloth; the rider modelled seated in the saddle, right arm raised and left arm held before the body; right hand modelled empty to accept a bow or other weapon; some restoration.
ProvenanceEx North Yorkshire, UK, collection, 1990s.
LiteratureSee Prodan, M., The Art of The T'ang Potter, London, 1960, for comparable example (pl.XI).
FootnotesMany horses, in the Tang graves, have been found with a runnel down the length of the upper neck, and a hole at the end of the spine. These cavities were surely meant to take real horsehair manes and tails, as some later porcelain figures are adorned with wisps of real human hair threaded through holes under the nose and the chin.
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AUCTIONS:
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LOT 2018
Chinese Tang Terracotta Horse and Rider
Estimate £350 - 450€410 - 520 (for guidance only)$470 - 610 (for guidance only)
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Large Chinese Song Soldier's Head with Helm
Sui Dynasty, circa 590-618 A.D. or laterEstimate: £120 - 170 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £60
Unglazed model head of a soldier wearing a helmet with dommed crest, segmented bowl and lateral curtain; stylised facial features; hollow-formed, mounted on a custom-made stand. 918 grams total, 20.2 cm high including stand
Ex Hong Kong collection, 1990s.
The headdress of late Sui and early Tang warriors was a black cloth (boutou) drawn over the head and elaborately tied into a sausage-like shape at the rear. For more formal wear this cloth cap, especially the free ends of the knot at the back, would be stiffly starched. -
Chinese Tang Terracotta Courtly Lady on Horseback
Tang Dynasty, 618-907 A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £7,150
Modelled as a standing horse with detachable female rider; rider with dressed hair, ample sleeves, layered robes and painted face; horse with curved neck and bowed head, ears pricked; painted face, bridle, harness and saddle blanket. 4.25 kg total, 43.5 cm high
From a Hong Kong Collection, 1990s. Accompanied by a thermoluminescence analysis report no.C124a6 from Oxford Authentication. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.12098-213520. -
Large Chinese Wei Terracotta Greeting Female
Northern Wei Dynasty, 386-534 A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,430
Modelled in the round wearing a floor-length tight-fitting gown and long-sleeved undergarment; arms extended in a gesture of welcome; painted detailing to the face and hair. 5.25 kg, 61 cm high
From a West Country, UK, collection, formed in the 1990s. Accompanied by a thermoluminescence analysis report no.C124a3 from Oxford Authentication.
