6th-2nd century BC. A plaque formed as a horse viewed in profile, galloping left, detailing to head, mane, body, tail and hooves in the form of hatching and roundels; two spool-shaped attachment lugs to the reverse. 33.4 grams, 58mm (2 1/4"). Ex Japanese private collection, formed 1970-2010. The Ordos culture emerged in the Eurasian steppes north of the Great Wall of China, in the vast expanse of grasslands that stretches from Siberia into Central Europe. By the first millennium BC, material prosperity among the nomads had brought about a flowering of creativity and the evolution of a new artistic vocabulary. The pastoral people left no written record, but the artefacts that remain, provide a key to understanding their culture and beliefs. Beautifully crafted and highly sophisticated and abstract in design, these objects are visual representations of the natural and supernatural worlds that guided their lives. An equestrian people, the nomads produced many objects associated with horses and the paraphernalia of riding. These were embellished primarily with animal motifs. The figures that populate these small objects - ibex and hedgehogs, deer and camels, griffins and dragons - at time exhibit violence and aggression, at times an appealing charm, but always spirit and vitality. This 'animal style' would remain a significant source of inspiration in the decorative arts of the Eurasian continent for centuries to come. The artistic exchange between the pastoral peoples and their settled Chinese neighbours through trade, migration, marriage alliances, and warfare contributed to the cultural development of both groups.

Fine condition.