Minneapolis Institute of Art

Horse, from a set of zodiac figures

China

Date

13th century

Medium

Earthenware with mineral pigments

Department

Asian Art

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

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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