Figure "stable boy", Sancai ceramic, Tang Dynasty (618 - 906)

A figure modelled in kaolin ware and decorated with amber, green and cream-coloured "sancai" glaze (三彩) and polychrome. Different moulds and firing times were used in the production process, both for the manufacture and decoration. 

It depicts a young man standing erect on a square pedestal with articulated hands, acting as a guide for a horse or camel. His posture is firm and his expression has a serious countenance. The face, trousers and hands are covered with a layer of white engobe. He wears a jacket across the front, covered with a cream glaze with green tones and amber lapels. Partial traces of polychromy remain on the lips (red) and the cap (black). The expression and shape of the face, as well as the clothing, is very similar to other servants; all indications are that it was possibly part of a group of figures depicting caravans on the Silk Road.

Height: 43 cm

Its state of preservation is exceptional, considering its age. It shows wear to the polychromy.

Documentation:

It is accompanied by a report and "Thermoluminescence Test" carried out by the TL Laboratory of the Autonomous University of Madrid (UAM). Report no.: 10021W year 2007. The result confirms, from the extraction of material from the piece, compatibility with ceramic materials fired in the Tang dynasty period.

Provenance:

Spanish private collection. 

This important private collection comes from a successful businessman dedicated to national and international construction and investment who lived in different parts of Spain and the South of France. This part of the collection, exhibited exclusively for the first time at auction, focuses on Chinese ceramics from the Tang dynasty and is a collection of museum quality pieces. The family's tradition of travel dates back to the success of an ancestor who in the 1930s travelled to Manila, Shanghai, Cairo, Havana, etc., practising the sport of "cesta punta", and in particular, motivated by an interest in discovering different cultures, which led them to build up a large collection. In general, their interest in art is such that their collection includes pieces of both Asian and European origin.

The acquisition of the collection began in the 1990s and was built up during years of study in Madrid and on various trips to Paris, New York, Hong Kong, Spain and Germany; at reputable antique dealers such as "Arch Angel" in Hong Kong and international auctions such as Nagel. To this end, specialists have also collaborated in the selection, study and verification of the pieces, as can be seen in the accompanying documentation: invoices, studies and reports.

Additional information:

The function of these figures was to protect the tombs and accompany the deceased, and they were endowed with visual qualities for this purpose. The first such figures were seen in the tombs of Li Feng, Prince of Guo (622-675). Large 'sancai' figures of better quality were included in the tombs of royalty and nobility, both in the Chang'an capital of the time and in the city of Luoyang. During the Tang dynasty, Henan province was one of the richest places in the empire.

They are decorated with brightly coloured glazes that can be seen on many pieces from the Tang period, from the 7th century onwards. The type of glaze was called "Sancai" (三彩) because of the use of three low-temperature firing colours. They are coloured by metallic oxides of copper, iron, cobalt and manganese. They are an evolution of the tradition of Han and Wei single-colour ceramics. The material used to make these ceramics is kaolin with fine white texture and glossy glazes, representing the peak of the development of coloured glazed ceramics in China. The result is a magnificent and dazzling artistic effect. Similar examples are preserved in the Luoyang Museum's "洛陽博物館" figure set and the Shaanxi Museum of History "陕西历史博物馆".