Tang Dynasty Terracotta Female Rider Horse Statuette
£ 3,750.00
An exceptional hollow-moulded Tang Dynasty terracotta female rider statuette, portrayed astride a horse. The female is carefully painted with elongated eyes, a pointed nose, and a crisply carved mouth in bright red pigment, whilst her cheeks are rouged as if flushed from exertion. Her hair is gathered into a double top knot drawn-up high. Both arms are bent at the elbows, slightly reaching forward. Her garment features a tunic with a v-shaped opening and lappets, trousers, and boots. The clothing is enriched with the original white, blue and pale red pigment. The horse is depicted standing, powerfully-posed with legs straight, and head turned to the side. Attention has been made to the curvature of the horse’s form and the muscular anatomy. The facial features have been modelled in a naturalistic manner, featuring pricked ears, an open mouth and prominent eyes, enhanced by additional red and black pigment. The tail is shown docked and bound, and the mane is cropped. The grey saddle is decorated with pale red swirls, and outlined in red pigment. Black pigment outlines the harness and bridles. The original pink pigmentation of the horse survives largely intact, and there is a hole under the horse’s belly for firing process. The statuette stands atop an orange rectangular base.
This piece is accompanied by a thermoluminescence analysis report no. 05C26042024 from Kotalla Laboratory.
Date: Circa 618 - 907 AD
Period: Tang Dynasty
Provenance: From a West Country, UK, collection, 1990s.
Condition: Good Condition. It is complete and intact, with fine, clear features. Paint faded from age, some signs of wear such as scratches and earthy encrustations. Three small perforations to the horse’s neck, back leg, and back of the rider from TL test.
In stock
Horse statuettes, such as this incredibly fine example, were usually grave goods to be placed in tombs. It was believed that these figures would serve and assist the deceased in the afterlife. Figures of this type are called mingqi (冥器) in Chinese, and depict servants, officials, soldiers, musicians, court attendants, dancers and, in the case of animals, horses and Bactrian camels. Horses were important during the Tang Dynasty and were both the reward of successful military expeditions and the foundation of imperial stability. Brought to China by means of the international Silk Road trade network, horses were also a sign of wealth, with strict laws in place limiting the use of horses to people of a certain rank, and even those serving in the military had to provide their own mount. As a symbol of status and wealth in life, horses were also an indication of their owner’s importance in the afterlife, with horse mingqi reflecting the position and rank of the deceased through their forms and scale. The Tang Dynasty saw several developments, including the rise to popularity of female horse-riding, a social change that reflected the liberation granted to women during the Tang dynasty.
For more information on Tang Statuettes, please see our relevant blog post: Terracotta Tomb Attendants and The Horse in Chinese Culture and Art.
