唐 三彩陶騎馬俑|Horse and rider
Unknown Artist
7th–8th century
Medium
Earthenware with three color (sancai) glaze
Dimensions
H. 16 3/4 in. (42.5 cm); W. 5 5/8 in. (14.3 cm); L. 14 3/4 in. (37.5)
Classification
Tomb Pottery
Culture & Period
China · Tang dynasty (618–907)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Rosina O. Bateson, 1965
Accession Number
65.101.4
Tags
Art Historical Context
This vibrant horse and rider figurine, crafted in the Tang dynasty (618–907 exemplifies the era's masterful sancai pottery—a low-fired earthenware glazed in signature tri-color splashes of amber-yellow, green, and creamy white. Standing about 16¾ inches tall, the piece captures a dynamic rider atop a sturdy steed, both rendered with lively realism that reflects Tang China's cosmopolitan spirit. Horses, symbols of power and mobility influenced by Silk Road exchanges, were elite status markers, often buried as mingqi (spirit objects) to accompany the deceased into the afterlife. Produced betwee...