Horse
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.The Qin were known for their expertise in raising horses, a knowledge likely gleaned from their nomadic neighbors. By the late Eastern Zhou period (771–256 B.C.), they employed large numbers of horses to pull chariots, creating a formidable force on the battlefield.
The present example was one of thirty-two horses found in a single pit. They were accompanied by eight chariots and twenty-four charioteers, meaning that there were four horses and three soldiers for each chariot. This horse is heftily built with alert eyes, pointed ears, a well-trimmed mane, and a knotted tail—all characteristics of Qin war horses.
The present example was one of thirty-two horses found in a single pit. They were accompanied by eight chariots and twenty-four charioteers, meaning that there were four horses and three soldiers for each chariot. This horse is heftily built with alert eyes, pointed ears, a well-trimmed mane, and a knotted tail—all characteristics of Qin war horses.
Artwork Details
- 秦 陶马
- Title: Horse
- Period: Qin dynasty (221–206 BCE)
- Culture: China
- Medium: Earthenware
- Dimensions: H. 66 in. (167.6 cm); W. 68 in. (172.7 cm): D. 17 in., (43.2 cm); Wt. 937 lb. (425 kg)
- Classification: Sculpture
- Credit Line: Lent by Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art