1950s Chinese The Game of Polo

Details

Description

This artwork depicts a game of traditional Chinese polo (Jīqú 击鞠 or Dǎqiú 打球), a historic equestrian sport that reached … Read more This artwork depicts a game of traditional Chinese polo (Jīqú 击鞠 or Dǎqiú 打球), a historic equestrian sport that reached peak popularity among royalty and the elite during the Tang (618–907 CE) and Song (960–1279 CE) dynasties.

Key Visual Elements
Mallets & Ball: The players hold long-handled mallets featuring curved, crescent-shaped heads (mùzhàn), positioned to strike the small ball resting on the ground between the horses' hooves.

Attire & Styling: The riders wear traditional Chinese equestrian dress, including futou (black cloth headwear), side-slit tunic robes tucked into waist sashes, and high leather riding boots designed for dynamic saddle movements.

Composition: The four riders are rendered in dynamic action, leaning dramatically out of their saddles to contend for possession of the ball—a signature hallmark of classical Chinese genre painting focusing on aristocratic court pastimes.

This sticker and inscription provide fascinating history regarding who framed, handled, and likely owned this piece.

The Framer (Jimilu Mason): The foil label belongs to Heritage Art Framing, a custom shop operated by prominent American artist and sculptor Jimilu Mason (1930–2019) at 831 S. Washington St. in Alexandria, Virginia. Mason was a renowned Washington-area artist best known for her official bronze busts of political figures (including President Lyndon B. Johnson and Supreme Court justices) and public art installations.

Historical Marker: The label lists an old "TE 6-5070" phone number (using the historic Temple central office exchange name) and a short 5-digit format, suggesting the framing job was done around the late 1950s to 1960s.
"Underhill" Inscription: Written directly above the label in pencil, "Underhill" likely indicates the surname of the original client, collector, or previous owner who commissioned the custom frame at Mason's shop.

Frame Provenance & Quality: Mid-century custom gilt wood frames from regional artist studios (like Jimilu Mason’s Heritage Art Framing in Alexandria, VA) hold solid intrinsic value. Interior designers and vintage collectors frequently purchase these pieces as much for the high-end mid-century frame as for the artwork.

Condition: Light toning/foxing on the matting and paper backing consistent with a 1950s–1960s framing job slightly tempers value, but keeps it firmly in the desirable vintage range. See less