A LARGE SANCAI GLAZED POTTERY FIGURE OF A HORSE, TANG DYNASTY China, 618-907. Well modeled standing foursquare with the head turned slightly to the left, well detailed with expressive eyes, the mouth agape, slightly flared nostrils set below pricked ears, and a muscular neck. A saddle is set atop a blanket and tied at the sides. Covered overall in glazes of amber and straw color with splashes of emerald green covering the body.

Provenance: Vallin Galleries, Wilton, Connecticut, USA, 1995. A private collection in New York, USA, acquired from the above. A Christie's New York fact sheet, confirming the above provenance and dating, accompanies the present lot.
Condition: Some repair and touchups as generally expected from Tang dynasty excavations. Losses, fissures, chips, and encrustations. Minor firing flaws, such as firing cracks, glaze flakes, glaze recesses, and dark spots. Overall, very good condition commensurate with age.

Weight: 8.4 kg
Dimensions: Height 53.5 cm

Among the most universally admired examples of Chinese ceramic sculpture are the majestic horses made for the tombs of the aristocracy of the Tang Empire (AD 618-907). These horses, representing wealth and power, played a significant part in emphasizing the importance of the occupant of the tomb. They were not only used for war or transport, but employed in a variety of leisurely activities. Polo, for example, was a popular pursuit at the Tang court and was played by both men and women. It was specifically encouraged by two Tang emperors, Taizong and Xuanzong, as being excellent for developing certain useful skills.

Expert's note: There is a groove running along the back of the neck, which was intended for attaching real horsehair to simulate the animal's mane, and there is a similar aperture for a tail. While such holes are seen on a number of Tang dynasty horses, the original horsehair of course could not survive more than 1,000 years of burial in a tomb. To give you a better impression of what a pottery horse such as the present lot would have looked like during the Tang dynasty, we added a braided horsehair tail to this piece.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Sotheby's New York, 24 June 2020, lot 857
Price: USD 18,750 or approx. EUR 21,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A sancai-glazed pottery figure of a horse, Tang dynasty
Expert remark: Compare the closely related pose, saddle, and green splashes covering the body. Note the slightly smaller size (48 cm).

Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Sotheby's New York, 19 March 2013, lot 81
Price: USD 50,000 or approx. EUR 62,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A 'sancai'-glazed pottery figure of a horse, Tang dynasty
Expert remark: Compare the closely related pose and green splashes covering the body. Note that there is no saddle and the horse is slightly taller (62 cm).


唐代三彩立馬俑
中國，618-907年。立馬，頭微微朝左探去，施褐色，白，綠釉，臀圓體壯，兩眼圓瞪，兩耳豎起，鬃毛修齊，黑色馬尾。

來源：1995年美國康州威爾頓Vallin 藝廊；美國紐約私人收藏購於上述藝廊。隨附紐約佳士得確認上述出處和年代的情況說明書。
品相：唐代考古發掘中普遍存在的一些修復；缺損、裂縫、碎屑和結殼。輕微的燒製缺陷，如燒製裂紋、釉面開片、釉面凹陷和黑點。總體而言，與年齡相稱的狀況非常好。

重量：8.4 公斤
尺寸：高53.5 厘米

唐三彩馬俑是為唐代（公元 618-907 年）貴族陵墓的殉葬品，在中國陶瓷造像中極爲重要。這些代表財富和權力的馬在強調墓主人的重要性方面發揮了極大的作用。馬不僅用於戰爭或運輸，還用於各種休閒活動。 例如，馬球是唐朝宮廷的一項流行運動，男女都可以玩。它受到唐太宗和玄宗兩位皇帝的特別鼓勵。

專家注釋：脖子後面有一條凹槽，用於連接天然動物毛所作的馬鬃，尾巴也有類似的孔。雖然在許多唐代馬俑上都可以看到這樣的洞，但原始的馬毛當然無法在墓葬中保存 1000 多年。為了讓您更好地了解像現在這樣的陶馬在唐代時的樣子，我們在這件作品中添加了一條馬尾。

拍賣結果比較：
形制：非常相近
拍賣：紐約蘇富比，2020年6月24日，lot 857
價格：USD 18,750（相當於今日EUR 20,200）
描述：唐三彩馬
專家評論：比較一下非常相近的姿勢、馬鞍和覆蓋身體的綠色斑點。請注意它的尺寸稍小(48 厘米)。

拍賣結果比較：
形制：相近
拍賣：紐約蘇富比，2013年3月19日，lot81
價格：USD 50,000（相當於今日EUR 59,700）
描述：唐代三彩立馬俑
專家評論：比較一下非常相近的姿勢和覆蓋身體的綠色斑點。請注意此俑沒有馬鞍，且較高 (62 厘米)。