126 - A Chinese white and grey jade carved mythical beast, tianmaHan Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220)the recumbent beast carved with both legs tucked underneath the body, its sides carved with wings8cm long, wood standProvenance:Property of a GentlemanThe winged tianma, or ‘heavenly horse’, is an image attested in both ancient Chinese and Western art. In China, the motif is closely associated with the celebrated ‘heavenly horses’ of Central Asia. In the fourth year of the Yuanding era of Emperor Wu of the Han dynasty (113 BC), the emperor encountered the renowned horses of Dayuan and, greatly impressed by their qualities, bestowed upon them the name tianma. He subsequently composed poetry in their honour and launched two military expeditions to the Western Regions, in part with the aim of acquiring these prized horses.The image of the tianma enjoyed enduring popularity in China from the Han through the Yuan dynasty, appearing in Han pictorial stones and in Tang sculpture, painting, gold and silverwork. Notable representations include the famous Six Steeds of Emperor Taizong at Zhaoling and the celebrated horse paintings of the Tang court painter Han Gan. Literary references to and poetic celebrations of the tianma likewise continued throughout the dynasties. Compare with a very similarly modelled jade tianma in the Palace Museum, accession number gu00087093.漢 白玉天馬拍品來源：英國私人紳士收藏有翼天馬之形象，見於古代中國及西方藝術之中。中國所稱「天馬」，主要與來自中亞大宛等地的良馬相關。漢武帝元鼎四年（公元前113年），始得見大宛良馬，因其神駿非凡，甚為賞愛，遂稱之為「天馬」，並親作《天馬之歌》以詠其神駿。此後，漢武帝先後兩度遣軍遠征西域，以求得西域良馬。自漢代傳入中國後，「天馬」形象歷經千餘年而不衰，至元代仍見流行。漢代畫像石，以及唐代石雕、繪畫、金銀器等藝術遺存中，皆可見天馬形象，其中尤以唐昭陵六駿最為著名；唐代畫家韓幹亦以駿馬為主要題材，留下諸多傳世名作。歷代文人亦多有詩文詠頌天馬，使其不僅成為中國古代藝術中重要的祥瑞形象，亦逐漸承載了對神駿、力量與遠方異域的想像。類似造型天馬可參見北京故宮博物院所藏，藏品編號故00087093。

A Chinese white and grey jade carved mythical beast, tianmaHan Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220)the recumbent beast carved with both legs tucked underneath the body, its sides carved with wings8cm long, wood standProvenance:Property of a GentlemanThe winged tianma, or ‘heavenly horse’, is an image attested in both ancient Chinese and Western art. In China, the motif is closely associated with the celebrated ‘heavenly horses’ of Central Asia. In the fourth year of the Yuanding era of Emperor Wu of the Han dynasty (113 BC), the emperor encountered the renowned horses of Dayuan and, greatly impressed by their qualities, bestowed upon them the name tianma. He subsequently composed poetry in their honour and launched two military expeditions to the Western Regions, in part with the aim of acquiring these prized horses.The image of the tianma enjoyed enduring popularity in China from the Han through the Yuan dynasty, appearing in Han pictorial stones and in Tang sculpture, painting, gold and silverwork. Notable representations include the famous Six Steeds of Emperor Taizong at Zhaoling and the celebrated horse paintings of the Tang court painter Han Gan. Literary references to and poetic celebrations of the tianma likewise continued throughout the dynasties. Compare with a very similarly modelled jade tianma in the Palace Museum, accession number gu00087093.漢 白玉天馬拍品來源：英國私人紳士收藏有翼天馬之形象，見於古代中國及西方藝術之中。中國所稱「天馬」，主要與來自中亞大宛等地的良馬相關。漢武帝元鼎四年（公元前113年），始得見大宛良馬，因其神駿非凡，甚為賞愛，遂稱之為「天馬」，並親作《天馬之歌》以詠其神駿。此後，漢武帝先後兩度遣軍遠征西域，以求得西域良馬。自漢代傳入中國後，「天馬」形象歷經千餘年而不衰，至元代仍見流行。漢代畫像石，以及唐代石雕、繪畫、金銀器等藝術遺存中，皆可見天馬形象，其中尤以唐昭陵六駿最為著名；唐代畫家韓幹亦以駿馬為主要題材，留下諸多傳世名作。歷代文人亦多有詩文詠頌天馬，使其不僅成為中國古代藝術中重要的祥瑞形象，亦逐漸承載了對神駿、力量與遠方異域的想像。類似造型天馬可參見北京故宮博物院所藏，藏品編號故00087093。 Condition Report: one foreleg broken and polished