saddled horse
saddled horse
Nationality
Chinese
Creation date
early 700s
Materials
earthenware with glaze
Dimensions
26 x 27 in.
Credit line
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Eli Lilly
Accession number
60.75
Collection
Not Currently On View
Size indicates that this horse was made for someone from the highest ranks of society.
Horses were highly valued for the military and for activities such as polo. The most prized horses were the tall and powerful breeds, descendents of the "dragon seed"
imported from the West.
The Tang dynasty began with 5,000 horses and 50 years later boasted herds numbering 706,000.
[Howard Hollis]; purchased by Eli Lilly in 1996; given to The Indianapolis Museum of Art in 1960.
