A particularlylarge, striking and highly decorativeancient Chinese amber glazed terracotta camel groom.Dating to the early to midTang Dynasty, between 706 - 755 AD. This well provenanced piece sold for $6,000at a New Yorkgalleryin 1984 (copy of original invoice provided), making it a valuable example of superb style.
This piece is a beautiful example of Tang ming qi artistic styles.The artist has skilfullycaptured the inner spirit of his subject. The physically imposingfigure, representing a male servant or groom, isshownwearing a long Persian style coat with wide lapels. The robe, popular with both foreigners and Chinese alike during this period,isdecorated with a rich amber glaze.The strong,lifelike featurescombine a sense of both monumentality and realistic detail,whilst the drapery of the garment is beautifully modelled to assist in defining the structure of the body underneath. Thelively figure is shown with his right arm raised upwards, likely gripping thereigns of the camel figure that would have accompanied him.
Thispiece depicts a camelgroom or merchant\'s servant. He would have led Bactriancamelsladen with goods, travelling alongthe treacherous deserts of the Silk Route. These servants were mostly foreigners, andthis figure appears to depict a Turkic individual, likely from one of the nomadictribes to China\'s northwest.It was during the Tang Dynasty that theSilk Route reached its golden age,and theChinese empire welcomed foreign cultures from all across the known world.This colorful environment provided an inexhaustible source forsculptors, who, with the tools of their art, capturedthe physicalappearance of the wide range of peoples inhabiting their cosmopolitan world.
This beautiful and vibrant style, known as sancai, is widely renowned for its use of rich glazes and colours. Sancaiwasproduced foronly a short period of time during the Tang Dynasty,under a lavish patronage that encouraged artistic sophistication. Political decline after the An Lushan Rebellion(755-763 AD) was accompanied by a deterioration of artistic vigour. As such, the small window under whichsancai pieces such as thiswere producedrepresents thevery highest standardsof theming-ch\'i artistic style, with this piece being a particularly large and attractive example.
Please note that the purchaser ofthis piece will be provided with a copy of the original 1984 receipt.
Height:16 1/4inches.
Condition:Very good for an ancient Chinese ceramic. Head reattached, right forearm reattached, right foot and left toe reattached. Otherwise in good condition with excellent glaze preservation.
Provenance:
Ex. This piece was purchased as one of a pair from Rare Art, inc. 978 Madison Ave., NY. A copy of the original invoice, dated 12th June 1984will be provided to the new owner. The grooms were purchased for $6,000 each at the time. Rare Art Inc. was a prominent NY gallery active in the 1980\'s. Pieces from their collection can now be found in the MFA Boston and other prominent items are unconditionally guaranteed to be Authentic as described. For added security we offer a full money-back guarantee if a recognized authority disputes the authenticity of any object sold. We send paper invoices incorporating a signed certificate of authenticity and photograph of the item.Shipping
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