VINTAGE 5” REPLICA CHINESE Hand Carved GREEN JADE FLYING HORSE GANZU Sculpture.

This listing is for a spectacularly very finely hand carved vintage GREEN JADE replica of the Ganzu Heavenly Flying Horse. These “celestial horses” were highly prized as marks of status.

The Gansu Flying Horse or Han dynasty Flying Horse, JADE Running Horse or Galloping Horse Treading on a Flying Swallow. See research notes below.

It is balanced on one hoof resting on a swallow (or as some think a falcon as its tail is square and not forked!!). Please see the Google notes below for more information. This balance is well considered as the original bronze Flying Horse of Ganzu was a considerable weight and a lot of thought went into the perfect centre of gravity to achieve this finished work of art. The head positioning and the eyes of the horse are looking at what it is treading on and the open eyes of the falcon are looking at the horse. A really spectacular study, with meaning.

It would make a great dest ornament or 🎁 for Chinese business entrepreneur as the motto of the Chinese Governement has a logo which incorporates the feeling of power and speed….please see photo.

The horse’s posture neighing and speed and is believed to be perfect symbols of the enterprising and persevering spirits of China…that is why the image has been used widely at home and abroad.

MEASUREMENTS: Height 4” x length 5 1/2” x depth 1 1/2”

CONDITION: Lovely vintage condition commensurate with age

RESEARCH NOTES:

Heavenly Horse from Gansu Chinese Bronze Sculpture reproduction replica. The Gansu Flying Horse or Han dynasty Flying Horse, Bronze Running Horse or Galloping Horse Treading on a Flying Swallow is a Chinese sculpture in bronze from the Eastern Han dynasty probably the 2nd century CE. Discovered in 1969 near the city of Wuwei, in the province of Gansu, it is now in the Gansu Provincial Museum. “Perfectly balanced,” says one authority, “on the one hoof which rests without pressure on a flying swallow, it is a remarkable example of three-dimensional form and of animal portraiture with the head vividly expressing mettlesome vigor.”

The horse was found in 1969, during the Cultural Revolution, by a team of locals who had been told to dig air-raid shelters in fear of war with the Soviet Union. When they excavated they found a chamber under a monastery which held a group of over 200 bronze figurines of men, horses, and chariots, which they put in plastic bags and took home.

They later realized the importance of their find and reported it to provincial authorities. Professional archaeologists then took up the excavations. They discovered a three-chambered tomb which had apparently been entered by looters soon after the original burial some 2,000 years earlier. The looters had not, however, entered the chamber in which the bronzes were found. The archaeologists determined that the opulent tomb was that of a Han dynasty army general who had been given the important task of maintaining imperial frontier defenses. They took the bronzes to the museum in Lanzhou.

In Lanzhou, the group of bronzes was observed by Guo Moruo, China’s elder statesman of archaeology and history, who was conducting Cambodian Prince Sihanouk on a tour of China. Guo was struck by the beauty of the horse and selected it for national and international exhibition.

The horse in the bronze is a breed brought back from Fergana, a by a punitive expedition sent by Emperor Han Wudi in 104 BCE. These “celestial horses” were highly prized as marks of status.

If you need more photos or information please message me...🤗

PLEASE READ:

I try to describe all the items as accurately and as honestly as possible, and I always include photos or scans of the actual items.

My items are usually vintage or antique, very rarely new, and condition will sometimes reflect this with minor marks, wear on gilding etc.

Anything major such as cracks chips or major loss of gilding etc will be pointed out in the description and shown on the photos

If you are still unsure as to the condition etc. please ask questions or request more photos BEFORE bidding or buying

***Please keep in mind, I am not an expert, but an enthusiastic collector. I do my best to research the item and its history and pass that information on to my customers, you can google items and find the same information I do. If you know anything of interest that I have not included I am always interested to learn. Vintage or pre-owned items will often show some signs of wear due to their age, and there may be something I overlooked. There can be naturally occurring manufacturer's defects, slight surface scratching, or wear consistent with normal use. Any condition outside normal vintage wear, like chips or cracks or serious defaults, will be noted.***

POSTAGE:

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