Golden Age at TEFAF and Drents Museum — cultja.com — Readability
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10/04/2012 09:42
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Golden Age at TEFAF and Drents Museum
by ANNELIEN BRUINS • APRIL 9, 2012
Horses are not indigenous to China although they formed a crucial part of the military power of the
Tang dynasty, whose emperors ruled the Empire from 618 to 907 AD. At that time riding was a popular
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Golden Age at TEFAF and Drents Museum — cultja.com — Readability
10/04/2012 09:42
pass-time among the Chinese elite who could afford the upkeep of their stables: horses were a status
symbol, much like art is now. The Tang dynasty is known for its cultural openness and the resulting
quality of its arts – pottery horses in particular. Elegant yet sturdy in shape they are often embellished
with vibrant green and yellow glazes and fine examples in good condition are a sight to behold. I will
take any opportunity to go see one where I can and this month I got lucky at TEFAF in Maastricht and
the Drents Museum in Assen, the provincial capital of Drenthe in the Northern Netherlands.
Thanks to the quality of the pieces on show TEFAF is probably the most prominent fine art and
antiques fair worldwide. From the 15th until the 24th of March an astonishing array of Old Master
paintings, antique furniture and collectibles, contemporary art and antiquities was on lavish display at
the MECC in Maastricht. This year was TEFAF’s 25th anniversary and the hefty catalogue included an
informative booklet on the history of the fair. The public at TEFAF is distinctly Northern-European,
more so than at Art Basel, the Armory or Frieze: clearly well-off but classically dressed without overt
displays of wealth. Walking around with a glass of wine and a couple of oysters would be pleasant
anywhere but at the TEFAF it is an experience that I look forward to every year: there are just so many
fantastic artworks to admire. I found my Tang horse at Ben Janssens Oriental Art: a particularly
attractive Sancai (a type of lead-glazed) pottery horse and rider, prominently displayed at the back of
the stand.
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Golden Age at TEFAF and Drents Museum — cultja.com — Readability
10/04/2012 09:42
Sancai pottery horse and rider. Image courtesy of Ben Janssens Oriental Art.
Not having had the time to see even one third of all of TEFAF’s treasures, the following week I visited
the Drents Museum in Assen to check out its exhibition on China’s Golden Age. Designed for the
museum’s newly-built wing, the exhibition comprises five sleek pavilions housing approximately 150
archeological treasures made of silver, gold, glass, stone and pottery. The Tang dynasty has been
compared to the Dutch Golden Age which took place in the 16th and 17th centuries and which was
well-known for its religious tolerance. By the same token, this dynasty was the wealthiest in Chinese
history due to the trade generated by the Silk Route and the interactions with India, the Middle East
and Europe. The resulting economic and political stability facilitated an unusually open and tolerant
era for China in which the visual arts were allowed to flourish. The well-preserved artefacts at the
exhibition – including, neatly displayed on their own shelves, a number of beautiful horses – are
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Golden Age at TEFAF and Drents Museum — cultja.com — Readability
10/04/2012 09:42
testimony to the craftsmanship of the Tang artisans. It is fascinating that two millennia ago these
objects were considered precious enough to be buried with their owners and that today, exhibited in
high-end art galleries and public museums, they evoke a similar admiration.
TEFAF March 15th – 24th 2012
Drents Museum November 17th 2011 – April 15th 2012
Top feature photo of this article:
Horse and rider from the tomb of princess Yongtai. Three-coloured glazed
pottery, Xianyang, Shaanxi Provincial History Museum. Image courtesy of Shaaxi
Cultural Heritage Promotion Centre.
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