A FINE AMBER AND STRAW GLAZED POTTERY FIGURE OF A FOREIGN HORSE GROOM, TANG DYNASTY

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A FINE AMBER AND STRAW GLAZED POTTERY FIGURE OF A FOREIGN HORSE GROOM, TANG DYNASTY Scientific Analysis Report: A thermoluminescence analysis report issued by Oxford Authentication on 24 August 2026, based on sample number C126m9, sets the firing date of the two samples taken between 900 and 1500 years ago, consistent with the dating above. A copy of the report accompanies this lot. Expert’s note The figure’s animated pose, with one arm raised and both hands clenched as though grasping reins, identifies him as a foreign groom, originally intended to accompany a pottery horse or camel. His large, prominent eyes, broad features, and long curly hair, together with his Western-style costume, characterize him as a Central Asian type familiar in early Tang funerary sculpture. Although made for burial, such figures vividly evoke the cosmopolitan atmosphere of Tang China and the far-reaching cultural exchanges fostered by the Silk Roads. Chang’an, the ancient Tang capital, was home to numerous foreign communities, including merchants, envoys, and travelers from major Central Asian centers such as Samarkand and Bukhara, whose presence contributed to the remarkable diversity of Tang society. China, 7th-8th century. Superbly modeled standing in a dynamic pose with his right hand raised with clenched fist, while his left arm is held close to the torso with the hand extended forward. The youthful figure is clad in a knee-length tunic crossed over the chest. The fleshy face with large eyes, a broad nose, and full lips slightly parted to reveal teeth, the curled hair secured by a plain headband centered by a circular boss. The figure is covered in a finely crackled straw and deep amber-colored glaze, the latter mainly reserved for the robe, with the head and legs partially left unglazed. Dimensions: Height 43.2 cm With an associated padded silk storage box. (2) Literature comparison: Compare a closely related amber- and cream-glazed figure of a groom, dated Tang dynasty, 58 cm high, exhibited by Littleton & Hennessy, London. Compare a related brown-glazed figure dated to the 8th century in the Kyoto National Museum, museum number GK499. Compare a related sancai figure of a foreign groom with similar facial features, dated Tang dynasty, 58.4 cm high, in the Asian Art Museum, object number B60P536. Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Sotheby’s New York, 18 September 2024, lot 203 Price: USD 24,000 or approx. EUR 22,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the related modeling and subject with similar stance and robe. Note the larger size (70 cm) and green glaze.

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