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Lot Essay
The decorative motifs of this very rare gold headdress are representative of the cultural exchanges that informed the art of the nomadic peoples of the northern steppes during the Tang-dynasty period. The influences came from not only Central Asia and South Asia, but also the Tang empire and the nomads themselves, with their focus on horses and the other animals with which they were familiar.
The nomadic reliance on horses is reflected in the depiction of the horses that decorate each end of the headdress. They are shown not only in a gallop but almost as if flying, their speed implied by the position of the legs, the wind-blown manes, the open mouths and their intense expressions. There is also something mythical about their representation, which includes the small flames on the sides and the small antler-like horns. Winged horses with bifurcated horns are included with other mythical winged animals depicted on the gold saddle fittings illustrated by Jenny F. So, Radiant Legacy: Ancient Chinese Gold from the Mengdiexuan Collection, vol. II, Hong Kong, 2013, pp. 40-49, where the fittings are dated 7th-9th century. Like the present headdress the fittings are gold sheet worked in repoussé.
The diaper pattern that decorates the band between the horses and the central rosette most likely shows the artistic influence of Tang-dynasty China and imitates woven fabric with alternating ring-punched and stippled grounds. It is also very possible that the rosette was originally inlaid in the center, possibly with turquoise. The loops at the ends were for the attachment of cords to secure the headdress and the loops at the bottom edge and the small tubes on the reverse for the attachment of various decorative elements.
The nomadic reliance on horses is reflected in the depiction of the horses that decorate each end of the headdress. They are shown not only in a gallop but almost as if flying, their speed implied by the position of the legs, the wind-blown manes, the open mouths and their intense expressions. There is also something mythical about their representation, which includes the small flames on the sides and the small antler-like horns. Winged horses with bifurcated horns are included with other mythical winged animals depicted on the gold saddle fittings illustrated by Jenny F. So, Radiant Legacy: Ancient Chinese Gold from the Mengdiexuan Collection, vol. II, Hong Kong, 2013, pp. 40-49, where the fittings are dated 7th-9th century. Like the present headdress the fittings are gold sheet worked in repoussé.
The diaper pattern that decorates the band between the horses and the central rosette most likely shows the artistic influence of Tang-dynasty China and imitates woven fabric with alternating ring-punched and stippled grounds. It is also very possible that the rosette was originally inlaid in the center, possibly with turquoise. The loops at the ends were for the attachment of cords to secure the headdress and the loops at the bottom edge and the small tubes on the reverse for the attachment of various decorative elements.