A Large & Finely Modelled Bronze Sui or Tang Style Horse, Late Qing Dynasty

A finely cast Tang or Sui style horse shown standing foursquare atop a rectangular base, modelled with fine proportions & robust musculature. Dressed in an ornate saddle blanket & saddle, the crupper strap & collar strung with piriform bells. The whinnying head demonstrating highly animated features, showing flared nostrils, wide eyes & pricked ears, the mane is neatly groomed, and the tail is trussed with a ribbon. Late Qing Dynasty, most likely Guangxu Period (1875-1908).

Dimensions,16” high x 21” wide x 6.75” deep.

 

The historical & cultural importance of the horse in China can be found in the artistic legacy of both the literature & art of the early Chinese civilization. Horses were believed to be related in part to dragons, thereby raising their societal status to that of sacred creatures.

 In addition to being highly revered as war horses as well as a means of transportation, during the Tang Dynasty horses were also ridden by nobles & aristocrats purely for pleasure & recreation, which interestingly migrated into the development of the game of Polo.

During the reign of Emperor Xuanzong, horses were also used as courtly entertainment when harnessed with bells & silk tassels and then being taught to 'dance' to music played by court musicians, later to become known as ‘Dancing Horses’.

Horses are viewed symbolically in Feng Shui as possessing strong 'Yang Energy' that of being fast, bright & active.

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