Newly aquired Tang Horse

I posted this yesterday. All wood and is 40 1/2 inches tall and weighs about 60 or 70 pounds. I won this at auction and think it is well over 100 years old. Other items all asian and all went for pretty big money. That being said I would love some help in figuring out how old. There is some shrinkage and you can tell from finish that it shrunk with wood.

 

Couple more

 

It sort of looks like the one I found on Chairish. Beautiful!
Carved Polychromed Chinese Horse
$6,500

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Description

A wonderful 20th century carved painted wooden Chinese horse purchased in 1985 from a prominent Hong Kong Gallery. A copy ... moreA wonderful 20th century carved painted wooden Chinese horse purchased in 1985 from a prominent Hong Kong Gallery. A copy of the original receipt will be included. This piece is quite large. It has quite a bit of the original paint. There are quite a few repairs and losses, please see the detailed photos. This piece is impressive and makes quite a statement. less

 

Underside

 

WoW... just WOW!
Leslie

 

Duplicate thread:https://www.antiquers.com/threads/think-i-did-good-tang-horse.57112/#post-3257111
Continuing here: I think yours is slightly less refined than @ulilwitch ’s example above, noticeably around the head, but that’s opinion only. I think this could still be Chinese but is a later 20th c example.


Don’t know what you paid, but good purchase IMO!

 

I'm going to get it carbon dated. It cost about 250 but worth it i think.

 

This is in a lot better shape than that one. It is even listed as having several repairs and looks like head obviously was off ar at the least dropped. IMO im sitting here with it in front of me. Im comfortable in my opinion way more than yours. How could you even speculate that? You can't fake real age.

 

Original Tang Dynasty horses were made of terracotta, not wood, and date to AD 618-906.
https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/_ch...0C1FHI7GOpl0HLIfMt3AY7BlKAIkzw5RoCU2MQAvD_BwE


You got your wooden version for a good price. But there seem to be quite a few similar carved wooden Tang-style horses out there. All are estimated to date between 1850-1950, although no one offers any solid evidence for their dating. They probably were, and perhaps still are, popular decorative export products. The Chinese are very good at making all types of objects in earlier styles, and making them look deceptively old.


https://www.ebay.com/i/173942913136...-Y0KnFFwLWzApZs6NFqsw_V-BD5Z3GGhoCKpIQAvD_BwE

And several others whose photos do not allow me to copy:
https://www.google.com/shopping/pro...&ved=0ahUKEwizisCf4uLtAhWTF1kFHVIDCWgQ9pwGCAU

https://www.google.com/search?biw=1...rGCt4Q4dUDCAw&uact=5#spd=16976190245539283566

https://www.mercari.com/us/item/m25...F5_pL4CxeFjndVVc8H8EvDxImdGCO9whoC3-oQAvD_BwE

https://www.ebay.com/i/264814799445...6l8Hc0YOwGo9zKi3thB6cv3udd8LJWhxoCBssQAvD_BwE

https://www.1stdibs.com/furniture/d...T5mvAPIxD_fbHq0hlNBoCJwwQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

If you get it carbon dated you will have an idea of how old the wood is, not necessarily the horse, because wood can be recycled. So actually you can “fake age” which is one of the ways in which museums and collectors get fooled. And as @2manybooks points out, the fact it is wood makes it more recent than the ceramic horses in places like the British Museum that are considered “real”. However, if an an accredited auction house or museum recognises the style or (best of all) finds documents for manufacture or production, then I don’t think anyone here would argue. It could well be Victorian. It is very nice, and I sincerely encourage you to get it checked out. Tang horses are very famous, you won’t struggle to find someone who knows without doubt.

 

Not a chance this is Tang, probably not even that old, but very nice anyway - don't waste your money

 

Ahhh blooey on you

 

It is also of solid wood. Seperat parts im sure but solid all the same and for solid its only like 60 pounds that means old and dry

 

I'm certain it's at least 150 years old. I would bet that for sure. You weren't at this estate nothing was cheap lots of items I had no shot at. But all of it was from home of extremely wealthy maryand family. I only attend the finest estate auctions. Thats how I make my living. Done pretty well so far.

 

What species of wood is it? There is great variability in the comparative weight of woods, and anything can be kiln dried.

 

Apologies o great one, I'm not worthy

 

Lol that was funny. Did you mean it to be funny or do you really know me?

 

And that was meant to be funny.

 

I am certainly not saying that it's from the Tang Dynasty.

 

There are a worrisome number of identical/similar horses floating around the internet. There is a worrisome lack of consistency as to their dating which is often prefaced by language such as "most likely." They can be found on high-end resale sites but I haven't seen any at a bona fide auction site. I am very, very skeptical that this is not a modern decorative item.

Debora