Horse; Sichuan, China, Tang dynasty, 206 BC - 220 AD.

Horse; Sichuan, China, Tang dynasty, 206 BC - 220 AD.
Polychrome terracotta.
Attached thermoluminescence.
It presents restorations in fracture lines in the legs, two levels of the neck and ears.
Measurements: 110 x 80 x 30 cm.
This polychrome terracotta horse, from the region of Sichuan in China, is part of the funerary sculptural tradition associated with the Tang Dynasty, one of the periods of greatest artistic splendor of Chinese civilization. The piece, of large format, shows a representation of remarkable expressive force, the animal appears in a dynamic attitude, with one of the front legs forward, suggesting restrained movement. The head leans slightly forward, with the mouth open, revealing the teeth, erect ears and facial features intensified by the modeling. Preserving traces of polychrome allows us to intuit the original chromatic richness of the piece, which originally must have been vividly painted, reinforcing its ceremonial and symbolic character.
The tail, represented separately in one of the specimens, together with the ornamented bridle of the other, underlines the careful technical detail and the intention of giving the figure a noble and controlled appearance. These elements indicate its link to the elite equestrian world, where the horse was a symbol of prestige, military power and social status.
In the context of the Tang dynasty (618-907 AD), funerary art reached an extraordinary development, driven by a cosmopolitan society open to the influences of the Silk Road. The funerary figures, known as mingqi, had the function of accompanying the deceased in the afterlife, symbolically recreating their living environment. In this sense, horses occupied a privileged place, reflecting both the importance of horsemanship in Tang culture and the connection of imperial power with mobility, trade and war.