The object of the day: 7th century Chinese terracotta horse

Large terracotta Horse , Tang Dynasty (China 618 to 907)

Size
Height 61 cm., 24"
Length 63cm., 24 3/4"

The painted pottery horse in a walking stance with a rare detachable blanket saddle .
The horse belongs to a group of grey pottery figures which are modelled around an iron armature and dating from the early Tang period, 7th Century
Shaanxi province

Status
FOR SALE

How to know if it is antique?

An antique, according to the dictionary, is "a piece of furniture, tableware or the like, made at a much earlier period than the present." It is not, however, necessarily out-of-date or oldfashioned. A chair that was built soundly from good hardwood around 1820 and is comfortable to sit on is never out-of-date. A 7 1/2-inch-high octagonal teapot of blue Staffordshire is monstrous in comparison to contemporary streamlined pots, but it makes as good tea as it did more than a century ago.

How many years old must a chair, a plate, a trivet, a fan, or a clock be to warrant its being called an antique without anyone's arguing the point? Some people insist on a precise number of years, such as 80 or 100. The 80-year span is justified on the basis of two generations, each one covering 40 years. Yet a watch that is only 75 years old is likely to look old-fashioned, and so perhaps it also is an antique. Certainly anything that is 100 years old deserves the label.

The object of the day: Handpainted silk trade banners

The unique handpainted silk trade banners were made to illustrate the various trade groups represented in the Maine association. Each year a special parade would take place, and members (blacksmiths, shipbuilders, printers, masons, butchers, etc.) would carry these banners - representing their trade.
The group of 17 banners was estimated between $125,000 and $225,000, and sold on James D. Julia Auctions for $125,350. The price was exciting news, but the buyer and the circumstances of purchase were even more newsworthy. The winning bidder was Richard D'Abate, Executive Director of the Maine Historical Society. D’Abate represented a consortium of many Maine historical institutions.

Egyptian cat statues

This limestone feline is among some 600 cat statues from a newfound temple dedicated to the Egyptian cat goddess Bastet. The ancient temple was recently discovered under the streets of modern-day Alexandria, Egypt.

French Rococo style in furniture

The Rococo style of French antique furniture began in the 18th century. It came about as a result of the Baroque artists of the time casting aside their obsession with symmetry and turning to a more aqueous and lucid style. They began focusing on interiors of palatial French mansions of Louis XV’s reign and into the beginning of Louis XVI’s.