拍賣筆記 vol.298 覺是軒：7680英鎊售出，邦瀚斯倫敦 - Priestley and Ferraro, Bonhams London, A Large Red-Painted Pottery Figure Of A Standing Horse Sold for £7,680

漢代陶馬是理解漢代社會結構、軍事體系與審美觀念的重要物質見證。自西漢以來，馬不僅是交通與軍事行動的核心資源，更被視為身份、財富與國力的象徵。隨著絲綢之路的開通，中亞良馬（史稱「汗血馬」）的引入，進一步塑造了漢代對馬匹體態與神采的審美標準。

墓葬中所見的陶馬，多以寫實手法塑造，強調結實的軀幹、緊繃的肌肉線條與警覺的神情，既反映實用層面的馬政制度，也寄託了對死後世界延續秩序與尊榮的想像。部分陶馬施以紅彩或彩繪，顯示其原本並非素陶，而是具有鮮明視覺效果的隨葬形象。

相較於後世唐三彩馬的裝飾性與戲劇張力，漢代陶馬更重「形制」與「氣勢」，風格內斂而克制。正因如此，此類作品在藝術史與考古研究中地位穩固，但在國際拍賣市場中仍長期處於相對低位，屬於學術價值與市場價格之間仍存明顯落差的典型門類。

Pottery horses of the Han dynasty constitute a key visual and archaeological record for understanding the social structure, military system, and aesthetic ideals of early imperial China. From the Western Han period onward, horses were not only indispensable to transportation and warfare, but also potent symbols of wealth, rank, and state power. The opening of the Silk Road and the introduction of Central Asian horses—celebrated in historical texts as “Ferghana horses”—profoundly shaped contemporary perceptions of equine strength and vitality.

Han dynasty pottery horses excavated from tombs are typically naturalistically modelled, emphasizing solid proportions, well-defined musculature, and an alert, controlled posture. These figures reflect both the practical importance of horses in state governance and the belief that worldly hierarchies and prestige would continue into the afterlife. Many examples were originally painted in red or polychrome pigments, indicating that they were conceived as visually striking tomb companions rather than plain ceramic objects.

In contrast to the highly decorative and dynamic Tang sancai horses of later centuries, Han pottery horses are restrained and formal in style, prioritizing structure and presence over ornament. This aesthetic restraint has secured their importance in art-historical scholarship, yet they remain comparatively undervalued in the international auction market—making them a category where academic significance and market recognition have yet to fully converge.

西漢 紅彩陶立馬佣

LOT 205

A LARGE RED-PAINTED POTTERY FIGURE OF A STANDING HORSE

Western Han Dynasty

PRIESTLEY & FERRARO: THREE DECADES IN CHINESE ART (1994-2025) (ONLINE)

29 October – 7 November 2025, 12:00 GMT

Online, London, New Bond Street

Sold for £7,680 inc. premium

Naturalistically modelled standing foursquare, the powerful body with well-defined muscular contours and a neck supporting a finely proportioned head with an alert expression, the ears pricked back, flared nostrils, and an open mouth revealing the teeth, the hindquarters with a hole for fitting the tail, the body painted a dusty red pigment overall. 54.5cm (21 1/4in) high. (2).

Provenance:

Acquired in Hong Kong, 3 July 2002

Published, Illustrated and Exhibited:

Priestley & Ferraro, Animals for the Afterlife, London, November 2002, no.25

Priestley & Ferraro, Timeless Creatures. Animals in early Chinese Pottery and 20th Century Ink Paintings, London, Summer 2024, no.4

來源：

獲得於香港，2002年7月3日

展覽著錄：

Priestley & Ferraro，《Animals for the Afterlife》，倫敦，2002年11月，編號25

Priestley & Ferraro，《Timeless Creatures. Animals in early Chinese Pottery and 20th Century Ink Paintings》，倫敦，2024年夏季，編號4

The result of Oxford Authentication Ltd. thermoluminescence test no.C102u3, dated 20 August 2002, is consistent with the dating of this lot.

本拍品經牛津熱釋光檢測，編號C102u3（2002年8月20日），結果與其斷代相符

Horses were central to Han dynasty society, prized not only for their role in transport and warfare, but also as symbols of wealth and prestige. Pottery models of horses reflect this importance, with many capturing the elegance, vitality, and distinctive features of the famed Ferghana horses imported from Central Asia, renowned for their speed and stamina. Such figures demonstrate the technical skill of Han potters and the cultural fascination with these exotic breeds, which became enduring icons of status and sophistication in Han dynasty art. See a related grey pottery horse, Western Han dynasty, illustrated in Tao yong (Pottery Figurine), Xi'an, 2014, p.25, no.30.

See a similar painted pottery horse, Han dynasty, which was sold at Sotheby's London, 10 November 2022, lot 129.