Minneapolis Institute of Art
Horse, from a set of zodiac figures
ChinaLinkedCulture matchlcp-7111c01d5494
- Date
- 13th century
- Medium
- Earthenware with mineral pigments
- Department
- Asian Art
- Institution
- Minneapolis Institute of Art
- Object ID
- 31236
From the Minneapolis Institute of Art record
This group of tomb figures represents the 12 zodiac animals, a system used in Han China to organize time, destiny, and cosmic order. Among them, the horse occupies a prominent symbolic role, associated with vitality, movement, and noble character. As the zodiac animal governing specific years and hours, the horse embodied energy and forward momentum within the cyclical rhythm of the universe. Placed in tombs, zodiac figures linked the deceased to cosmic time and protection. The inclusion of the horse underscores its broader cultural meaning—not only as a valued animal, but as a marker of auspicious power within the ordered cosmos. Asia
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Provenance & credit
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- Credit line
- Gift of Ruth and Bruce Dayton
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