Minneapolis Institute of Art

Bottle

China

Date

Qianlong period, 1736–1795

Medium

Ivory with red lacquer inlay

Department

Asian Art

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

This bottle exemplifies the high, technical standards of the imperial workshops. Each depicts armored soldiers on horseback carrying out an official military mission. Dressed in full martial regalia and advancing beneath a Qing dragon banner, the mounted figures move in disciplined formation, emphasizing order, readiness, and imperial authority. The horse is presented as an essential military partner, enabling mobility, coordination, and command across long distances. The surrounding architecture suggests a frontier or border city, underscoring the strategic role of cavalry in securing the empire’s edges. Here, the horse functions not as a hunting companion but as a disciplined steed of state power, embodying loyalty, strength, and centralized control. China, Asia

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