Chinese Tang Polychrome Foreign Groom Figure, TL Tested

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Fine Antiquities | Ethnographica | Fine Art

By Artemis Gallery

May 19, 2022

Set Reminder 2022-05-19 10:00:00 2022-05-19 10:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : Fine Antiquities | Ethnographica | Fine Art https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/fine-antiquities-ethnographica-fine-art-9350
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• Lot Description
  East Asia, China, Tang Dynasty, ca. 618 to 906 CE. A handsome, mold-formed pottery figure of a foreign male groom standing with right leg slightly bent atop an integral plinth and adorned in white, black, brown, and orange pigments. Holding his right arm out before him as though grasping the reigns of a horse, the ancient figure displays an athletic physique with a strong chest, broad shoulders, and slender limbs, all dressed in an elegant, multi-layered ensemble of a knee-length tunic and a long-sleeved coat that folds at his chest and is belted at the waist. He gently turns his head to his right, his emotive visage presenting bulging eyes with generous lids beneath raised brows, a broad, bulbous nose, round cheeks, a full buccula, and fleshy, bowed lips held closed, all capped by short coiffure with careful striations delineating his straight hair. A sizeable hat - indicative of his foreign status - crowns his head, towering above his naturalistic visage and presenting a conical form with a prominent central crest embellished by a spiraling motif at the front. Size: 7.8" W x 22" H (19.8 cm x 55.9 cm)
  
  Horses were among the most revered creatures in ancient China. The speed and strength of these majestic creatures was vital to the protection and expansion of the Chinese empire. While the local Mongol Pony was native to the region, larger and faster breeds were imported from Central Asia, eventually leading to the establishment of the Silk Road. This sculpture of a groom represents one of the foreigners who imported or cared for such horses. While this groom might have accompanied a prized steed on the long and arduous journey from Central Asia to its new owner inside China, it is just as likely that this expert groom lived and resided in China, tending to the needs of a royal stable of stallions. During the Tang Dynasty, it was not uncommon for foreigners to reside in the larger cosmopolitan centers of the empire. Clearly, this groom is no meager peasant, but a refined and respected foreigner who was memorialized in this sculpture. He holds one of his arms aloft, as if pulling the reigns to lead a horse. We can easily picture him lovingly combing a horse and brushing its mane. This groom is no mere worker, but a talented and respected artist who brought out the full beauty of these revered creatures.
  
  The Tang Dynasty was a golden age in China, when its control of oases along the Silk Road allowed both the export of Chinese goods and the import of people and ideas from places like India, Persia, and even further afield. The capital city, Changan (modern day Xian) had 2 million inhabitants, making it one of the largest cities in the world at the time, and there was a large class of literati and artisans supported by the government who lived there. This artisan class had the luxury to produce these beautiful figures. After a mold was used to form them into basic shapes, artists would then use scrapers and hand-modelling to give them their individuality.
  
  This piece has been tested using thermoluminescence (TL) analysis and has been found to be ancient and of the period stated. A full printed and bound report is available to the buyer upon request.
  
  Provenance: Barakat Gallery, Los Angeles, California, USA, acquired before 2000
  
  All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
  
  A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
  
  PLEASE NOTE: Due to recent increases of shipments being seized by Australian & German customs (even for items with pre-UNESCO provenance), we will no longer ship most antiquities and ancient Chinese art to Australia & Germany. For categories of items that are acceptable to ship to Australia or Germany, please contact us directly or work with your local customs brokerage firm.
  
  Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping.
  
  #170547

  Condition

  Loss of both hands. Head, lower legs, and arms reattached with restoration and repainting over break lines. Expected nicks with a few minor chips and indentations. Stable fissures to proper right arm and leg. Otherwise, excellent with nice remaining pigments. TL holes to base and under ridge of hat on verso.
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