Group of Three Chinese carved bone Horses with wood stands, probably mid C20th

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Auction Start: 02/11/24 10:16:00 UTC
Auction Ending: 16/11/24 20:16:00 UTC
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LOT NUMBER 9
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LOT NUMBER 9

Group of Three Chinese carved bone Horses with wood stands, probably mid C20th

This is a group of three bone horses carved in China most likely in the 1930s/1940s. The patina is attractive and the three different poses imaginatively created. One horse is shown grazing, another standing with his head turned back and the third galloping with his tail upraised. These are almost certainly three from an original set of eight which would have represented the famous 'Eight Horses of Wang Mu', so often depicted in Chinese Art. The Emperor Mu of the Zhou dynasty (1023-983 BC) was the subject of a romance legend in which he sought to visit the heavenly paradise and taste the peaches of immortality. A charioteer named Zaofu used his chariot drawn by eight horses to carry Wang Mu to his desired destination and the legend was then perpetuated in Chinese Art. As well as being found in Chinese painting and on Chinese porcelains, the horses were also the subject of Chinese sculptors working in ivory, bone and even wood. Many of these small groups exist and most are no more than a hundred years old. The style here and the form of the fitted wood stands suggests mid C20th work, probably as tourist souvenirs. While missing their companions, this group still enjoy a unity of their own and make a highly decorative ensemble.
Size: Horses on stands all circa 5-6cm (Ht) 5-6cm (Width) 2.5cm (Depth)
Weight: 65gm (set)
Date: 1930s/1940s
Condition: Good condition, no issues
Estimate: £20 – 30

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