This horse statue was constructed with relatively proper proportions, similar to a real horse. Many paintings of horses often didn't adhere closely to those proportions. Its short tail points to the horse being a work horse or one that pulled chariots, since those were usually the ones with cut-off or shortened tails.

Horses often symbolize determination and perseverance in Chinese culture. They are seen as steadfast, hard working, and reliable as mounts, for transport, and for work. The horse's facial expression shows tenacity and grit, which upholds the cultural image of a horse. This horse's body also appears to be well trained and fit, further supporting the idea of this statue showing a work horse. At the same time, this horse was also well taken care of: It is not shown with any scars on its body, and the mane is well combed. The green decorations on the horses head and body as well as the saddle point to the horse likely belonging to a specific person, more likely to be a middle-class or lower-class individual who deeply cared for his horse, as it isn't ornate like an upper class citizen's horse. The decorations and clean body also demonstrates the reliance of humans and horses with each other, where humans take care of horses while the horses are able to work efficiently in the fields or provide faster transport.

From the collection of: The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Made by Connor Chen