Tang people loved their horses, and everyday activities with their horses were depicted in ceramic, pottery, tomb murals, etc. This pair of pottery represents that sentiment.
Painted Pottery Horse And Horse Trainer 彩绘陶马与胡人驯马俑
Ceramic | Tang dynasty (618 – 907AD) | Figurine H: 35cm, Horse H:40cm L:47cm | Luoyang Museum Collection, Excavated from a Tang tomb in Luoyang, 1988 陶 | 唐代（公元618年～907年）| 俑高35厘米、马高40厘米，长47厘米 | 洛阳博物馆藏，1988年洛阳唐墓出土
Luoyang, a bustling commercial centre and destination for endless streams of caravans during the Tang era. One of the treasures of Luoyang Museum, a polychrome painted horse and its tamer, both unearthed in a Tang tomb in the city, were witnesses of that bustling era called the Tang Dynasty.
These sculptures paint a scene of a Northern barbarian in ancient China training a dancing horse along the Silk Road. Horse dancing was popular among the Persians, and was introduced to Chinese royal families during the Tang Dynasty.
Despite being lavishly harnessed, the horse shows no sign of obedience. This has resulted in all the tension and drama between the steed and the man, who, with legs wide apart, arms outstretched and veins on the wrists swelling up, tries desperately to rein in the muscular animal.
The pottery figurines were used as funerary objects in ancient times in order to make the dead live the same life in the underworld as before. Luoyang Museum features more than 400 pieces of pottery figurines in Han (202 BC – AD 220) and Tang (AD 618 – 907) dynasties.
在这组文物中，古代匠师塑造了一位身手矫健的驯马师，他张开双臂，侧身面对舞马，张大双眼与舞马四目相对，一副胸有成竹的神气。他的右臂前伸，右手用力握拳，左臂向后、肘部弯曲，手掌有力张开，腕部筋腱凸起。双膝微微弯曲，身体下沉，双足呈弓步，身姿充满张力。
舞马向右侧勾首，马耳扭向侧后方，身体下沉，腿上部肌肉饱满有力、腿下部纤细修长，左前蹄凌空抬起，重心落在弯曲的后腿，似乎正在用力向后挣脱缰绳，或者是正在卖力的表演。它通体饰有马具，背部鞍鞯俱全、马镫垂于腹部。随着舞马身体的摆动，马鞍两侧的鞍布随之飞动，就连马脖颈处的鬃毛仿佛也在随之起伏，整体呈现出一种极富动感之美。
The Legendary Dancing Horse 唐玄宗的舞马
China is home to mulberry trees and was the first country to produce silk, which was rare and luxurious in ancient times. The trade route between China and Europe was therefore known as the “Silk Road”. And with the Silk Road came foreign cultures and good, like these foreign bred horses.
This is no ordinary horse but the legendary dancing horse 舞马 that is being trained to perform in the Qinzheng Hall 勤政楼 according to the Old Book of Tang 《旧唐书》. The number of dancing horses during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty 唐玄宗 李隆基 was considerable.
There were a minimum of 100 dancing horses on standby and a maximum of 400. These dancing horses, trained to perform at the emperor’s birthday celebrations, were treated well in the Tang Dynasty. They had snow-white hair and were covered in brocade. Glittering bells hung around their necks. Pearls and jade decorated their mane. All these accentuated their splendour and grace.
(The Palace Museum 故宫博物馆藏)
While this pair found in Luoyang may not be the only ones (there’s another pair in The Palace Museum), they are the only ones found placed together in one tomb, confirming the fact that they were sold together as a pair, the trainer and his horse.
Duchess of Dukedom of Guo’s Spring Excustion《虢国夫人游春图》
Zhang Xuan (unknown) | Silk Painting | Tang Dynasty (618-907) | Dimensions – Painting: 52h x 148w cm | Liaoning Provincial Museum 张萱 (生卒年不详) | 绢本设色 | 唐代（公元618年～907年） | 绘画，52h x 148w cm | 辽宁省博物馆
这幅群像共表现了八乘马及九个人物，虽然画作题为《虢国夫人游春图》，然而画面并无环境背景的描绘，也很难明确分辨出画中谁是主要人物，那么如何知道主要人物是虢国夫人，又如何认定主题是游春呢？这就是画后的题跋在起作用了，中国画的传统里，画作的历任收藏者和鉴赏者都可以在卷后对画作加以考证和评价，有人将之与杜甫的诗歌《丽人行》相关联，张彦远也记载张萱画过这一题材，因此长久以来认为这是对玄宗年间杨贵妃三姐虢国夫人一次出游的表现，这样的看法至少在徽宗朝已经出现。金章宗完颜璟在卷前隔水的题签“天水摹”反映出他认为这是宋徽宗所作的摹本，现代学者大多相信这是出自某位宫廷画家之手，署名权却落在了皇帝手上，但这至少反映出徽宗对此画极为看重。
About Chinese National Treasure Series
中華國寶系列 Chinese National Treasure series feature specific artefacts and relics from museums all around the world that are historically significant to be considered a National Treasure. The series covers the 5,000 years of Chinese civilisation from Neolithic periods before the Xia dynasty (c. 2070-1600 BC) to modern day.
Pingback: Treasures – Painted Pottery Horse Inlaid With Gold (Tang) – live2makan