Koka Zirga Figūra, Vidēja Izmēra, Ļoti Smaga (4261)

Monumental carved wood war horse with lion sculptures — Baroque / Oriental style, South Asian master carving tradition, circa second half of the 20th century

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📐 124 × 120 × 35 cm (height × length × width). Weight: extremely heavy — solid hardwood; two persons required for transport, specialist packaging essential.

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🏛️ This is an exceptionally rare and visually overwhelming work of art that transcends the conventional boundaries of decorative sculpture and stands as a true monument to the master woodcarver’s craft. The horse is depicted in full ceremonial armour — with massive saddle strap plates, decorative caparison panels, and intricately carved leaf and vine motifs across the saddle cloth. The tail, mane, and hoof details are rendered with outstanding precision, bearing witness to many years of the carver’s dedicated practice. Most remarkable, however, is what the sculptor has placed upon the horse’s back: two roaring lions seated symmetrically — one on each side — with open mouths and fully carved manes. This motif — the horse as bearer of lions — is an ancient symbolic tradition found in Near Eastern court art and South Asian royal sculpture alike: the horse represents movement and strength, the lion royal power and dominance. Together, they form a complete embodiment of sovereignty.

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⚜️ The sculpture bears no maker’s mark, but stylistic analysis clearly points to a South Asian — most likely Indian or Indonesian — high-end wood carving tradition. In these regions, masters working in teak or mahogany spend years carving sculptures of this level of detail and depth, and the finest among them gain recognition in international art markets. India’s wood carving tradition — particularly in Rajasthan and Kerala — is among the richest in the world: for centuries it produced courtly sculptures, temple decorations, and ceremonial royal horses. Works of this scale and quality reach the European market through specialist importers and luxury home design exhibitions. The wood itself displays beautiful natural grain lines — deep variations in warm brown tones — making the material’s warmth an inseparable part of the aesthetic value.

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💎 Carved wood horse sculptures of this scale and quality, incorporating lion motifs, are exceptionally rare in the European antiques market. The vast majority of wooden horse sculptures that come to trade are either small-scale souvenirs or mass-produced pieces devoid of artistic merit. This piece occupies an entirely different category — its height of 124 cm makes it a silhouette that genuinely dominates a room, while the lion motif gives it a unique iconographic dimension not found in standard offerings. Collectors, luxury interior designers, and private clients seeking original statement objects actively search for pieces of this kind.

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🕯️ Given its monumental scale and the complexity of its execution, this sculpture is ideal as the central dominant object in larger spaces: reception halls, hotel lobbies with an Oriental or eclectic aesthetic, the entrance halls of private residences, centrepiece accents in restaurants or bars with a colonial or exotic theme, and art galleries. It is one of those rare pieces at which people stop and ask: “Who made this?” — and that alone is its greatest market value. For photographers and videographers, this sculpture offers extraordinary possibilities — every angle reveals new details, depths, and textures.

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🎁 The horse combined with the lion is one of the oldest and most universal systems of power symbolism in human history. This sculpture makes an outstanding representative gift in several contexts: for those born under the Leo zodiac sign — the lion is their direct symbol, here enthroned upon a royal horse; for those born in the Year of the Horse in the Chinese zodiac — this horse is their birth animal; for the offices of senior legal, political, or military leaders — the lion upon the horse is a metaphor for authority and absolute command; as a corporate gift for the board or chief executive of an ambitious enterprise — for those who understand symbols. This is a gift that leaves an impression for years.

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🔍 The sculpture is in very good condition given its scale and material. The wood is stable, with no signs of cracking or structural damage. Minor natural grain variations and carving tool marks are visible in places — these are not defects but attestations of authenticity. Some fine details (lion manes, hoof finishing) show slight natural wood wear consistent with age and use. The condition of the item is fully reflected in the photographs.