Sancai-glazed terracotta figure 'Lady on Horseback', Tang dynasty (618 - 906)

A figure modelled in kaolin ware and decorated in amber, green and cream-coloured 'sancai' glaze (三彩) and polychrome. The body of the animal is hollow and has an opening at the bottom of its belly.

It depicts a lady servant on horseback, straddling the saddle, looking straight ahead with a serene face, unglazed and with traces of polychromy. Her hair is tied up in a high bun and she wears a long tunic with the cut below the chest. The skirt is pleated and reaches the height of her shoes. The sleeves are long and cover the hands. The horse has a sturdy body, with its head tilted to one side and standing on all four legs. The details of the figure are well cared for and well modelled, maintaining its proportions. 

It is covered with a three-coloured 'sancai' glaze that ends before reaching the base. The glaze on the body of the animal is amber and cream-coloured. The green colour falls from the skirt of the dress. During firing, it slips into the final shape, which, with the mixing of the colours, produces a unique result. There is a similar example in the Weisbrod Collection called "Sancai Glazed Pottery Horse and Female Rider" and another in the Metropolitan Museum "Horse and female rider" under no. 1991.253.10.

Height: 41 cm

References: 

Christie's, 19 March 2008, "A sancai-glazed pottery figure of a horse and rider". Auction price: 49,000 USD. 

Documentation:

Accompanied by a report and "Thermoluminescence test" carried out by the "Yeung Shui Shang laboratory for Thermoluminescence of ancient ceramics / The chinese university of Hong Kong" year 1999 (no. L354). The result confirms, from the extraction of material from the piece, compatibility with ceramic materials fired in the Tang dynasty period. Enclosed with an invoice from the antique dealer "Arch Angel" of Hong Kong.

Provenance:

Spanish private collection. 

This important private collection comes from a successful national and international construction and investment businessman who lived in different parts of Spain and the South of France. This part of the collection, exhibited exclusively for the first time at auction, focuses on Chinese ceramics from the Tang dynasty and is a collection of museum quality pieces. The family's tradition of travel dates back to the success of an ancestor who in the 1930s travelled to Manila, Shanghai, Cairo, Havana, etc., practising the sport of "cesta punta", and in particular, motivated by an interest in discovering different cultures, which led them to build up a large collection. In general, their interest in art is such that their collection includes pieces of both Asian and European origin.

The acquisition of the collection began in the 1990s and was built up during years of study in Madrid and on various trips to Paris, New York, Hong Kong, Spain and Germany; at reputable antique dealers such as "Arch Angel" in Hong Kong and international auctions such as Nagel. To this end, specialists have also collaborated in the selection, study and verification of the pieces, as can be seen in the accompanying documentation: invoices, studies and reports.

Additional information:

The function of these figures was to protect the tombs and accompany the deceased, and they were endowed with visual qualities for this purpose. The first such figures were seen in the tombs of Li Feng, Prince of Guo (622-675). Large 'sancai' figures of better quality were included in the tombs of royalty and nobility, both in the Chang'an capital of the time and in the city of Luoyang. Their production declined in the late 8th century after the An Lushan rebellion (AD 755-63) due to the decline of the dynasty. 

They are decorated with brightly coloured glazes that can be seen on many Tang-era wares from the 7th century onwards. The type of glaze was called "Sancai" (三彩) because of the use of three low-temperature firing colours. They are coloured by metallic oxides of copper, iron, cobalt and manganese. They are an evolution of the tradition of Han and Wei single-colour ceramics. The material used to make these ceramics is kaolin with fine white texture and glossy glazes, representing the peak of the development of coloured glazed ceramics in China. The result is a magnificent and dazzling artistic effect. An example would be the Luoyang Museum's figure set "洛陽博物館" and the Shaanxi History Museum's "陕西历史博物馆".

The theme of figures of horsemen on horseback is emblematic of funerary sculpture from the early 8th century, during the height of the Tang dynasty. In funerary ensembles it was common to include musicians, ladies or warriors on horseback, along with other figures of servants, merchant caravans and guardians. These figures are referred to as mingqi or shining objects because they were intended to serve and accompany the deceased in their 'afterlife'.