Curriculum Materials: Amazing Animals in
Art
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Chinese (T'ang dynasty), About 725 Essays: Questions: |
Style and Technique
This horse, made of white clay, was cast from molds. Typically, most T'ang pottery figures were mold-made in mass quantity, although on occasion they could be modeled entirely by hand. Larger figures, such as this horse, were often made by combining several molds with some hand-modeling to construct large, hollow pieces of sculpture. All works, whether mass-produced or otherwise, had to be finished by hand, a process that displayed the artist's skill, as is evident here in the horse's sense of proportion, spontaneity, and movement. The T'ang interest in naturalism is apparent in the careful attention given to the form of the horse, with its accurate proportions, distinct musculature, and lifelike posture. Its modeling conveys the artist's thorough understanding of a horse's anatomy.
This horse is made with the glazing technique of san t'sai (tsahn-tsigh), one of the unique ceramic developments of the T'ang period. San t'sai means "three-color" and usually refers to green, amber, and cream glazes found on T'ang burial ceramics. Many variations of the hues were used, however, so that the colors were not necessarily limited to three, and black and blue glazes were often included as well. The glazes produced a brilliant effect, well suited to the splendor of the age. The PALETTE primarily used here includes blue, green, and caramel-colored glazes. The rare and costly blue glaze, usually reserved for the best and most striking figures, was associated with more important tombs.
In the san t'sai process, the figure was covered with a white SLIP before the glaze was applied. Slip is a fluid mixture of clay and water that works like a primer coat of paint or gesso, smoothing out the surface and giving it an even color. The use of slip helps to impart a clearer, brighter quality to the colored glazes than would be the case if the glazes were applied directly to the earthenware. (Because earthenware is composed of iron, it tends to discolor glazes.) After the application of slip, the body was covered with colored lead glazes. Because of their liquidity, lead glazes tend to run and streak. They flow and blend during the firing process, resulting in a luxurious interplay of colors, splashes, and drips. The fluidity of the colors was often exploited by the T'ang potter to obtain unexpected streaks and drips, contributing to the object's beauty. Despite the free and random nature of this process, it required extreme skill and sensitivity.
While the artist's interest in realistic detail is apparent in the horse's form, a quality of fantasy and generalization is also conveyed by the treatment of color. The glazes have been applied to produce a decorative and sumptuous effect rather than a realistic portrayal of the horse's color. The dynamic curve of the mane is heightened by its light colors and striped design, which contrast with the deep, brilliant blue of the body. The horse's bold colors and forms create a striking figure of remarkable splendor.
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