Northern Qi Painted Pottery Horse, TL Tested (ONE)

Northern Qi Painted Pottery Horse, TL Tested.... Northern Qi Dynasty.... Height: 65cm Base Length: 42cm Width: 21cm.......Description: This lot is for a SINGLE Northern Qi pottery figure of a standing horse, the body left in the fired buff clay and finished in painted pigment, the mane picked out in black with a repeating dot pattern, the muzzle and eyes highlighted in red and traces of gilt, a padded saddle blanket with vertical quilting and applied roundels draped over the back, the head lowered and turned. The figure has been thermoluminescence tested, supporting an antique date of manufacture........ NOTE: This horse is part of a pair, but being auctioned separately. If interested in the pair, please message.) ...........Historical Context: As with related lots in this sale, this horse was finished in cold-applied pigment over the fired biscuit rather than the vitreous, dripping lead glaze of true sancai ware; the flaking and fading visible in the pigment, together with the matte surface throughout, are characteristic of this painted technique rather than the glossy pooling associated with sancai. Large painted pottery horses of this kind were produced as tomb furnishings for the Northern Qi elite, reflecting the importance of fine horses to Northern Qi court and military culture along the Silk Road.........Comparatives: Thermoluminescence-tested Norther Qi pottery horses provide buyers with independent scientific support for an antique date of manufacture, and comparable painted examples have realized from approximately $8,900 to $15,000 or more at Bonhams depending on scale and condition.........Estimate in USD: $10,000 - $18,000