三彩筆記 vol.35 台北故宮博物院：唐三彩馬球仕女俑 - Palace Museum Taipei, Tang Sancai Polo Player on Horseback, Tang Dynasty

三彩馬球仕女俑

唐　西元618-907

Tang Sancai Polo Player Figurine (Female on Horseback)

National Palace Museum, Taipei

時代 / Dynasty：唐代 (Tang Dynasty, AD 618–907)

名稱 / Title：三彩馬球仕女俑 / Sancai-glazed Pottery Figure of a Female Polo Player

尺寸 / Dimensions：高 35.5 cm，長 33.2 cm，寬 12 cm / Height 35.5 cm, Length 33.2 cm, Width 12 cm

材質 / Material：灰黃陶胎，施白色陶衣，低溫三彩釉 (黃、綠、白、褐) / Greyish-yellow earthenware body with white slip and low-fired sancai glazes (yellow, green, white, brown)

這尊唐三彩馬球仕女俑捕捉了唐代貴族女子在馬球場上的英姿颯爽瞬間：駿馬肥壯有力，四蹄穩踏底板，彷彿下一秒即將疾馳；仕女身著輕便胡衫，翻領窄袖隨風微揚，雙髻高聳，展現自信與活力。她身軀側轉，目光專注，右手揮杖擊球的姿態充滿張力，左手控韁的細節刻畫精湛。釉色流暢自然，黃綠白褐交織出華麗光澤，宛如陽光灑落下的彩虹，完美詮釋唐三彩「低溫鉛釉、多彩流淌」的藝術精髓，是盛唐女性解放、體育風尚與中西文化交流的生動寫照。

唐代馬球的歷史介紹與政治關係 / History of Polo in the Tang Dynasty and Its Political Connections

馬球 (擊鞠) 起源於波斯，經吐蕃等西域民族傳入中原，唐初開始流行。唐高宗時期已見記載，胡人表演馬球以求青睞。唐中宗李顯大力推廣，「上好擊球，由此通俗相尚」，使馬球風靡長安，成為貴族娛樂與社交橋梁。

唐玄宗李隆基更熱衷，親自上場，並在驪山建御用球場。詩賦如《溫湯御球賦》描寫皇帝與臣子、妃嬪共擊球的盛況。馬球不僅是運動，還具軍事訓練價值，提升騎射技能，強化邊防。

政治上，馬球成為權力工具：中晚唐宦官掌控神策軍，常以陪皇帝打球拉攏影響力。宦官仇士良曾言「日以球獵聲色蛊其心」，利用馬球讓皇帝沉迷，鞏固權勢。皇帝如僖宗自詡若馬球入科舉，必中狀元；比賽中皇帝首球必進，象徵皇權。馬球亦涉外交，如中宗時唐蕃馬球賽，李隆基率隊勝吐蕃，展現國威。總體而言，馬球從娛樂演變為政治、軍事與外交的多重載體，反映唐代由盛轉衰的權力動態。

唐三彩馬球俑的存世量與藝術價值 / Surviving Examples and Artistic Value

唐三彩馬球俑極為稀有，完整仕女馬球俑傳世量極少，多為墓葬出土，受損或殘缺常見。台北故宮此件保存完好、姿態生動、釉色鮮豔，為代表作。全球類似完整仕女馬球俑僅數件至十餘件，多藏博物館，如Detroit Institute of Arts、Christie's曾拍品等。相較常見唐三彩駱駝、馬匹或文官俑，馬球俑因動感造型與運動主題更珍貴，體現唐代雕塑寫實高峰與女性形象開放。

紐約2026年春拍相關資訊 / Related Auction in New York, March 2026

Max N. Berry 收藏中，一件極為稀有且重要的唐三彩加彩仕女馬球俑 (A Very Rare Painted and Sancai-Glazed Pottery Figure of a Female Polo Player, Tang Dynasty) 將於2026年3月26日紐約佳士得 (Christie's) 重要中國藝術專場 (Important Chinese Art) 拍賣。此件尺寸約35 cm，與台北故宮藏品類似，姿態動感、釉色豐富，為私人收藏頂級之作，預期備受矚目。

A very rare painted and sancai-glazed pottery figure of a female polo player, Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907). 13¾ in (34.6 cm) high. Estimate: $80,000-120,000. Offered in Important Chinese Art on 26 March 2026 at Christie’s in New York, Max Berry Collection

唐三彩馬球俑問答 (FAQ) / FAQ on Tang Sancai Polo Player Figurines

唐三彩馬球俑是什麼？ / What is a Tang Sancai Polo Player Figurine? 唐代低溫三彩釉陶俑，描繪女子騎馬擊球，用作墓葬明器，象徵逝者在來世繼續享樂。 / A Tang dynasty low-fired sancai-glazed pottery figurine depicting a woman playing polo on horseback, used as a mingqi (grave good) to provide entertainment in the afterlife.

為什麼唐代婦女也打馬球？ / Why did Tang women play polo? 唐代社會開放，婦女崇尚健康、參與馬上活動，馬球流行於貴族，體現胡風影響與性別相對平等。 / Tang society was open; women valued health and engaged in equestrian activities. Polo, influenced by Central Asian cultures, was popular among elites, reflecting relative gender freedom.

台北故宮這件有什麼特別之處？ / What makes the NPM Taipei example special? 保存完整、尺寸適中、釉色鮮豔、動態捕捉精湛，為館藏經典，代表唐三彩藝術高峰。 / Exceptionally well-preserved, vibrant glazes, dynamic pose; a museum icon exemplifying peak Tang sancai artistry.

馬球俑稀有嗎？市場價值高嗎？ / Are polo figurines rare? High market value? 極稀有，完整仕女例全球屈指可數，拍賣常達數百萬美元，藝術與歷史價值兼具。 / Extremely rare; complete female examples are few worldwide. Auction prices often reach millions USD due to artistic and historical significance.

與Max Berry收藏拍品有何比較？ / Comparison to the Max Berry auction piece? 兩件尺寸、主題相近，皆為仕女馬球俑；台北故宮為博物館藏，Berry件來自私人收藏，即將公開拍賣，均屬頂級代表。 / Similar size and theme; NPM example is museum-held, while Berry's is from a private collection, upcoming at auction—both premier examples.

This Tang Sancai Polo Player Figurine (Female on Horseback) captures a vivid, spirited moment of a noble Tang dynasty woman on the polo field: her sturdy, powerful steed stands firmly on a rectangular base with all four hooves planted, poised as if ready to charge in the next instant; the lady wears a lightweight胡衫 (Hu-style tunic) with turned-down collar and narrow sleeves fluttering in the wind, her double topknot rising high to exude confidence and vitality. Her body twists sideways, gaze intently focused, right hand raised in a dynamic swing to strike the ball with the polo mallet, while her left hand delicately reins in the horse—the details are exquisitely rendered. The glazes flow naturally and smoothly, with yellow, green, white, and brown interweaving into a splendid, radiant luster, like a rainbow under sunlight, perfectly embodying the essence of Tang sancai: low-fired lead glazes that create vibrant, dripping multicolored effects. This piece vividly illustrates the liberation of women in the prosperous Tang era, the vogue for sports and equestrian activities, and the lively fusion of Chinese and Western (Central Asian/Persian) cultures.

唐代馬球的歷史介紹與政治關係 / History of Polo in the Tang Dynasty and Its Political Connections

Polo (jī jū / 擊鞠) originated in Persia and entered the Central Plains via Tibetan and other Western Regions peoples, gaining popularity from the early Tang. Records appear as early as the reign of Emperor Gaozong, where Hu (Central Asian) performers played polo to gain favor. Emperor Zhongzong (Li Xian) vigorously promoted it: "The emperor loved polo, and thus it became popularly emulated," making polo sweep through Chang'an as a noble entertainment and social bridge.

Emperor Xuanzong (Li Longji) was even more enthusiastic, personally taking the field and building an imperial polo ground at Lishan. Poems and rhapsodies like the "Warming Springs Imperial Polo Rhapsody" describe grand scenes of the emperor playing with ministers and concubines. Beyond sport, polo held military training value, honing cavalry and archery skills to strengthen border defenses.

Politically, polo became a tool of power: in the mid-to-late Tang, eunuchs controlling the Shence Army often used accompanying the emperor in polo to gain influence. Eunuch Qiu Shiliang famously said he used "daily polo, hunting, music, and beauties to bewitch his heart," employing polo to indulge the emperor and consolidate power. Emperors like Xizong boasted that if polo were an imperial exam subject, he would top the list; in matches, the emperor's first goal was always scored, symbolizing imperial authority. Polo also featured in diplomacy, such as during Zhongzong's era when a Tang-Tubo polo match saw Li Longji lead his team to victory over the Tibetans, displaying national prestige. Overall, polo evolved from mere entertainment into a multifaceted vehicle for politics, military, and diplomacy, reflecting the Tang dynasty's shift from prosperity to decline in power dynamics.

唐三彩馬球俑的存世量與藝術價值 / Surviving Examples and Artistic Value

Tang sancai polo figurines are extremely rare, with complete examples of female polo players on horseback numbering only a handful to perhaps a dozen or so worldwide—most are excavated from tombs, often damaged, fragmented, or incomplete. The National Palace Museum, Taipei example stands out for its excellent preservation, lively pose, and vibrant glazes, making it an iconic masterpiece. Globally, similar complete female polo players are housed in major museums, such as the Detroit Institute of Arts (a painted earthenware female polo player), Musée Guimet in Paris (a red terracotta female polo player), and others; past auction examples from Christie's and similar sales are also referenced as benchmarks. Compared to more common Tang sancai camels, horses, or civil officials, polo figurines are far rarer due to their dynamic action poses and athletic theme, representing the peak of Tang realistic sculpture and the open portrayal of women.

Artistically, they are of immense value: blending Hu-style attire, realistic equine modeling, captured motion, and masterful sancai glazing, they embody Tang aesthetic ideals of health, vitality, cultural confidence, and cosmopolitan exchange. Intact examples command exceptional market prices when they appear.

紐約2026年春拍相關資訊 / Related Auction in New York, March 2026

From the Max N. Berry collection, a very rare and important painted and sancai-glazed pottery figure of a female polo player (Tang Dynasty, AD 618–907) will be offered at Christie's New York in the Important Chinese Art sale during Asian Art Week on March 26, 2026. Measuring approximately 13¾ in (34.6 cm) high, this piece is closely comparable to the Taipei Palace Museum example in size, dynamic pose, and rich glazes. As a top-tier private collection highlight, it carries an estimate of USD 80,000–120,000 and is expected to attract significant attention from collectors and institutions.