Notes

The Tang Dynasty marked a new beginning in the history of China. Perhaps the most recognised of the Tang Dynasty objects is that of the moulded ceramic horse. In addition to this, other animals such as camels and figures of dancers and demons form part of characteristic Tang iconography. These objects were frequently produced for burials, in a tradition that dates back to the tombs of the Han Dynasty. It should be said that horses were a sought-after commodity, often in short supply in China.

“Since its domestication in prehistoric times, the horse has played an essential role in Chinese life. During the Shang and Zhou dynasties (ca. 1600–256 B.C.) horse-drawn chariots were a sign of high social status and the premier weapon of war. In the first century B.C., when Chinese envoys brought the first Bactrian horses back from western Asia to the Han dynasty (206 B.C.–A.D. 220) capital, these tall, strong, noble-looking steeds immediately caught the imagination of the emperor and his court. The importance of horses rose to new heights in the Tang dynasty (618–907) when, as emblems of imperial power, they marched in state processions, galloped through royal hunting parks, raced across polo fields, and even danced before the emperor.” ¹

Provenance

This lot is accompanied by a thermoluminescence authenticity certificate from the University of Hong Kong, dated 6th July 1996.