Horses were important during the Tang Dynasty and were both the reward of successful military expeditions and the foundation of imperial stability. Brought to China by means of the international Silk Road trade network, horses were also a sign of wealth, with strict laws in place limiting the use of horses to people of a certain rank, and even those serving in the military had to provide their own mount.
The terracotta horses presented here are an incredibly fine example of grave goods placed in tombs, found in the burials of the Tang Dynsaty. They are often placed with a. vareity of figurines and are believed that they would assist the deceased in the afterlife. Figures of this type are called mingqi (冥器) in Chinese, and depict servants, officials, soldiers, musicians, court attendants, dancers and, in the case of animals, horses and Bactrian camels and would represent the high social class that the burial occupants occupied during their lives.
To discover more about Tang statuettes, please visit our relevant blog post: Terracotta Tomb Attendants and The Horse in Chinese Culture and Art
