三彩及藍釉陶馬一對
唐代 公元618–907年
兩匹馬大小及形態相近，姿態生動，各具特色，均立於地面，修剪短鬃、前額鬃豐盈、尾巴打結；胸前、馬鞍和尾繩裝飾有藍釉葉形掛飾。白釉馬微微低頭，頭部向左側大幅轉動，配有一塊濺釉藍、綠、褐色的鞍毯，鞍座上覆有褐釉打結布飾，其透明釉面呈現淡淡的珠光及精細的開片紋。
褐釉馬則抬頭向左微轉，配有一塊褶紋布釉藍色的鞍布，鞍毯濺釉褐、綠、乳白色，背部有藍釉飾帶垂掛，其褐釉釉面厚實，釉流延至蹄部及底座。
尺寸：高35.5至38.7厘米（14至15 1/4英寸）
說明：隋唐時期，中國常從費爾干納（Ferghana）及大夏（Bactria）等西域地區進口馬匹，這些「絲綢之路」輸入的外來馬，以其卓越的耐力與體型而聞名。進口馬主要用於軍事需求，但唐代貴族亦將其用於狩獵及馬球等娛樂活動。
參考：一件類似尺寸及造型的白釉馬，飾藍釉及三彩裝飾，現藏於舊金山亞洲藝術博物館艾弗里·布倫戴奇（Avery Brundage）收藏中，著錄於《中國陶瓷：新標準指南》（倫敦，1996年），作者黑莉（Hei Li），見第99頁，圖版173。
另有一件類似尺寸及樣式的琥珀釉馬，造型略為簡潔，原屬卡爾曼（Calmann）收藏，現藏於法國吉美博物館（Musée Guimet），著錄於《中國：馬與人的故事》（巴黎，1995-1996年展覽圖錄），見第166頁，編號65。
此外，北京故宮博物院收藏一件略大尺寸的白釉馬，飾藍釉及三彩裝飾，見翁萬戈及楊伯達著《故宮：北京》（紐約，1982年），第245頁，圖版141。
A PAIR OF SANCAI AND BLUE GLAZED POTTERY HORSES
Tang Dynasty (A.D. 618 – 907)
of matching size and conformation, shown standing in different lively attitudes, with short-cropped manes, wide forelocks and docked tails, caparisoned with matching leaf-shaped blue-glazed pendants on their chests, bridles and crupper-straps; the white-glazed horse shown with head slightly bowed and turned sharply to the left, fitted with a saddle blanket splash-glazed in blue, green and russet under a saddle covered with a knotted cloth glazed in russet, the translucent glaze on the body showing faint iridescence and a finely crackled surface; the russet-glazed horse shown with head held up and turned slightly to the left, fitted with a saddle covered by a pleated cloth glazed bright blue over a saddle blanket splash-glazed in russet, green and cream-white and with blue-glazed straps hanging over the back, the russet glaze on the body of the horse liberally applied, running over the hooves and onto the base.
Height 14 inches – 15 1⁄4 inches (35.5 cm – 38.7 cm)
During the Sui and Tang periods horses were frequently imported from regions west of China such as Ferghana and Bactria, and these foreign-bred horses imported on the 'Silk Road' were renowned for their superior stamina and size. These horses were primarily imported for military use, but were also used by the Tang nobility for hunting and other pastimes such as polo.
A similarly modelled white-glazed pottery horse of this size with blue and sancai-glazed trappings from the Avery Brundage Collection is illustrated by Hei Li in Chinese Ceramics: The New Standard Guide from the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, London, 1996, p. 99, no. 173.
An amber-glazed pottery horse of this size and related type, but more simply modelled, from the Calmann Collection now in the Musée Guimet, is illustrated in the catalogue entitled Chine: des chevaux et des hommes, Musée National des Arts asiatiques – Guimet, Paris, 1995-1996, p. 166, no. 65.
Compare also the slightly larger white-glazed horse of related type with blue and sancai-glazed trappings in the Beijing Palace Museum, illustrated by Wango Weng and Yang Boda, The Palace Museum: Peking, New York, 1982, p. 245, pl. 141.
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