Female equestrian traveler with brimmed hat

From the Minneapolis Institute of Art record

This sculpture represents a female traveler riding a horse (identifiable by her attire and hairstyle), protected by a wide-brimmed hat suited for long-distance travel. In the Tang dynasty, horses were indispensable means of transportation, and women—especially from elite or urban backgrounds—enjoyed a level of mobility and visibility rarely seen in earlier periods. The calm, advancing horse and the rider’s upright posture suggest purposeful travel rather than ceremonial display. As a tomb figure, this work reflects the Tang ideal of an active afterlife and highlights how the horse enabled women’s movement, independence, and participation in the empire’s cosmopolitan culture. China, Asia