Pair of Large Chinese Bronze Horses

A wonderful mirror image pair of antique Chinese horses from the late 19th Century. They are fully caparisoned and saddled. The inscriptions on the horses flanks are traditional Chinese and translate as “Blessing”.

They are made from heavy bronze and are allover decorated and inscribed in gilt.

These horses are exceptional and in very good condition commensurate with age. They are very decorative and each horse weighs 18kg. Our spaniel, Alfie, kindly demonstrated their size.!

Provenance:  The horses are from the estate of the late Gabriela Grillo (1952-2024). She was one of the most globally celebrated dressage rider, having won a team gold medal at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal, as well as many other medals in top European championships.

In 2021, Gabriela was awarded the German Federal Cross of Merit, 1st Class.

Although of German origin, she was an Anglophile and kept a beautiful pied-à-terre near Westminster. This was where, with her passion for important horse inspired antiques, she kept much of her collection.