TANG DYNASTY (AD 618-907)

Hunting on horseback or on camelback with birds of prey that had been tamed by their owners was a common pursuit for peoples living along the Eurasian Steppes, and a vital part of their food procurement. In China, descriptions of hunting with raptors (falconry) first appeared in Chinese texts during the Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 CE), though it was certainly practiced earlier than that. By the Tang dynasty, it had become the sport of rulers and nobles, an elite activity. Proficiency in falconry and other hunting skills became advantageous for officials, attendants or even commoners seeking to gain an intimate relationship with the ruling classes. Falconry was described in literature and there were many poems describing the pastime, such as “Hawking” by the famous Tang poet Bai Juyi (772-846).

Standing figures such as the present falconer were produced in the Tang dynasty with glazes and with painted pigments. The painted pottery versions, as exemplified by the present lot, exhibit crisp details that are somewhat more pronounced than the glazed versions, being left in the biscuit. Two comparable unglazed figures, with the arms raised but lacking the falcons, are illustrated by M. Prodan in The Arts of the T'ang Potter, no. 36.