Horse and Female Rider






Horse and Female Rider, Unfired clay with pigment, ChinaHorse and Female Rider, Unfired clay with pigment, China This painted unfired clay statue(https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/42124)stands about 14 inches tall and dated around the 7th century. It is believed to come from Astana, Xinjiang which is in the far northwest of China. In the time of the Tang Dynasty, horses were respected animals because they were believed to be relatives of the mythical dragon. Horses were greatly respected because of their speed and stamina. They helped protect against barbarian invaders, and increase communication between far away regions which helped expand the empire. Thus, making horses a symbol of nobility and wealth. One can also assume that the female rider of the horse is a high-ranking noblewomen.. This piece is on display at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, gallery 207, in Arts of Ancient China display. 

Comments

  1. AnonymousOctober 22, 2020 at 12:21 PM

    Hi emerald great post, that really interesting that the horses were seen as descendent of the mythical dragon, thats awesome. I think it's interesting that they thought of the horse as nobility and wealth, they definitely had an impact on how they communicated.

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  2. Luna VelarOctober 23, 2020 at 9:46 AM

    Hi Emerald!

    I enjoyed your post! It's interesting how in Chinese culture the horse was considered a reflection of the military, and therefore a reflection of China as a whole. I found it really interesting that they were also believed to be descendants of dragons. Great post!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Kirstyn CraigOctober 23, 2020 at 11:21 AM

    Hey Emerald,

    Very interesting piece! Horses seemed to be a common theme throughout Chinese art. I did my blog post on a piece titled 100 horses, which was one of many pieces Lang Shining completed that included a horse. Overall though, great job!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Jeremy VelascoNovember 2, 2020 at 9:32 AM

    After reading the post it is clear to see the importance placed on horses during this time. Like Luna said, it is interesting to think about how horses were a reflection of the military and China as a whole. I think we can all agree the most interesting part is the piece about Horses being relatives to the mythical creatures dragons. The part that surprises me is the fact that a woman is atop the horse, I imagined it would be a man as he represents a solider in the military.

    ReplyDelete

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