AFTER GIUSEPPE CASTIGLIONE (20TH CENTURY)
The Eight Horses of Muwang
Colours on silk, a hanging scroll within silk brocade borders and mount, with spurious red Qianlong seal, framed and glazed, accompanied with dedication plaque dated February, 1966. 152.5cm (60in) high x 66cm (26in) wide (2).
Footnotes:
The 'Eight Horses of Muwang' or King Mu of the Zhou Dynasty alludes to a folktale when the King dreamed of being an Immortal. According to the story, the King was determined to visit the heavenly paradise and taste the peaches of immortality. A brave charioteer named Zaofu used his chariot to carry the king to his destination. During these travels the emperor's chariot was pulled by eight horses named after the colour of their hair. In other accounts, the horses' names reflected their unusual talents such as horse that gallops without touching the ground'.
This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: TP
TP For auctions held in Scotland: Lots will be moved to an offsite storage location (Constantine, Constantine House, North Caldeen Road, Coatbridge ML5 4EF, Scotland, UK) and will only be available for collection from this location at the date stated in the catalogue. Please refer to the catalogue for further information.

For all other auctions: Lots will be moved to an offsite storage location (Cadogan Tate, Auction House Services, 241 Acton Lane, London NW10 7NP, UK) and will only be available for collection from this location at the date stated in the catalogue. Please note transfer and storage charges will apply to any lots not collected after 14 calendar days from the auction date.

An impressive item in good general order.

Painting retains very good colour with only very minor foxing detected. Framing too is of good quality and in good order. Some small pieces of debris including loose silk threads and small dust and other particles have found their way down through the detachable backboards (held by sliders along edges) and reside behind the glass. An area of scuffing to the paint surface through to near-white silk below is seen on the neck and forelegs of the black/white horse and downwards at 45% as far as the forelegs legs of the reclining brown horse below.