Cleveland Museum of Art

A Large Painted Striding Horse

Date

700–800s

Medium

Pottery with white slip and mineral colors

Culture

China, Tang dynasty (618–907)

Department

Chinese Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

Horses were symbols of status and power in ancient China, used for military operations, mobility, and entertainment for the elite. Around the second century BCE onward, pottery horses began to be placed in tombs as status symbols and companions of the deceased in the afterworld. This horse is harnessed with a saddle and is exceptionally large. It presents a well-bred specimen that strides forcefully ahead. A groove runs over the horse’s neck from its ears to the saddle, indicating that its mane and tail were once filled with real horsehair to render the sculpture more realistic.

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