A PALE CELADON AND RUSSET JADE CARVED HORSE
Tang Dynasty or later
Carved from a natural pebble the artist has utilised every inch of the stone to depict a playful horse in the most beautiful fashion. The horse is depicted rolled on its side with both rear legs in the air, its head bent to the right nibbling its rear right hoof. With
its flared nostrils, coarse mane and knobbly ribs the carver has admirably captured the life of the animal and preserved it in stone. To the rear, its long bushy tail carved in relief using the natural russet skin of the pebble. A ribbon tied through the horse’s tail indicates the animal is probably domesticated or trained.
​
The horse in Chinese art is revered as a potent symbol of power and strength.
​
Length: 7.7 cm, 3 1⁄32" Inches
Provenance: Acquired in Hong Kong September 1954
Formerly in a deceased private English collection 1954 - 2019
​
For a similar jade horse dated to the Tang Dynasty see
Kleiner Robert “Chinese Jades from the Collection of Alan and Simone Hartman” 1996 no.34, pl.33
​
Another similar horse
Forsyth Angus, McElney Brian, The Museum of East Asian Art Bath “Jades from China” 2001 no.276, pl.178
Palm Springs Desert Museum, “Magic, Art And Order Jade In Chinese Culture” 1990 No.92, pl.91