Loading, please wait...
Details
LOT 2083
Chinese Tang Terracotta Polo Player Pair
TANG DYNASTY, 618-907 A.D.
17 3/4 - 18 1/2 in. (10.65 kg total, 45-47 cm high including stands).
A dynamic pair of ceramic polo player figures modelled in the round, riding galloping horses in vigorous poses, each a female in a robe with long sleeves and extensive remains of polychrome pigmentation, detailing to the harnesses and rider's garments; each with a custom-made display stand. [2]
Provenance
From a West Country, UK, collection, formed in the 1990s.
Accompanied by a thermoluminescence analysis report no.C124a7 from Oxford Authentication for one of the figures.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.12097-213518.
Literature
Cf. The British Museum, museum number 1938,0524.114, for broadly comparable figures.
CONDITIONVETTING:
TimeLine Auctions follows a vetting process to ensure the authenticity and legality of all items, reinforcing our commitment to integrity and responsible trading. Each antiquity, antique, and coin lot undergoes thorough examination by a vetting committee of at least ten external specialists, professional trade association members, scientists, and archaeologists: Our Vetting Process
AUCTIONS:
TimeLine is a leading auction house specialising in antiquities, ancient art, collectables, natural history, coins, medals, and books. Our auctions offer museums, collectors, historians, and enthusiasts the opportunity to acquire unique and historically significant pieces.
RELATED LOTS
-
Chinese Qing Glazed Terracotta Female Figure
Qing Dynasty, 1644-1911 A.DEstimate: £100 - 140 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £50
Partly-glazed hollow-formed standing female with draped floor-length robes, holding a drum-shaped vessel; attachment points for earrings. 495 grams, 23.5 cm
Ex Hong Kong collection, 1990s. -
Chinese Tang Terracotta Horse and Rider
Tang Dynasty, 618-907 A.D. or laterEstimate: £350 - 450 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £175
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. 1.54 kg, 29.5 cm
Ex North Yorkshire, UK, collection, 1990s.
Many 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. -
Chinese Tang Style Bronze Mirror
20th century A.D. or earlierSold for (Inc. bp): £65
Discoid mirror with dished profile, raised rim, reserved geometric 'ripple pattern' motif and central pierced lug. 747 grams, 21 cm wide
Ex Cotswolds, UK, collection, 1990s.
