Ancient Chinese, Tang Dynasty Terracotta Mingqi funerary horse in terracotta with traces of polychromy. With invoice - 33 cm

China – Tang Dynasty (618–907), probably 7th–8th centuries. Important funerary figure of a horse and rider in polychrome terracotta – Mingqi.

A striking Chinese funerary sculptural group made in molded terracotta and originally polychromed, representing a rider mounted on a horse, belonging to the important tradition of mingqi produced during the Tang dynasty to accompany members of the wealthy classes in their burials.

The horse is depicted standing, with a powerful rounded hindquarter, prominent chest and neck raised to support an elongated, expressive head, with erect ears, modeled muzzle and small remnants of reddish pigment on the mouth and nostrils.

The rider stands upright on the mount, wearing a long robe with wide sleeves. The arms appear advanced in the characteristic position originally intended to hold the reins, today absent as these elements were probably made in organic material.

The surface preserves numerous traces of its ancient pictorial decoration, with reddish, black/gray and white pigments visible on both clothing and horse. Notably the broad dark areas of the neck and chest, the lighter remnants of the body, and the reddish tones preserved on the rider and around the saddle stand out.

The deliberately stylized modeling combines the monumentality of the horse with the rigid verticality of the rider, creating a composition characteristic of Tang Chinese equestrian funerary sculpture.

Horses occupied an exceptional place in Tang culture, associated with social status, military power, Silk Road trade, and aristocratic prestige. Figures like this were deposited in tombs to symbolically guarantee the deceased the continuity of their entourage and social position in the afterlife.

Material: terracotta with traces of pigment applied in the cold state.
Origin: China.
Estimated period: Tang Dynasty, 618–907, probably 7th–8th centuries.
Typology: funerary equestrian figure, mingqi.
Measurements: 33 × 25 × 12 cm.

Conservation status: archaeological state, with wear and extensive pigment loss, surface deposits, abrasions and small losses. Cracks and ancient joints/restorations are observed, particularly in some limbs. The surface retains abundant pigment traces and an attractive patina of age. See all the detailed photographs.