Figure of a pony

Title
Figure of a pony
Year/Period
Han dynasty (206 BCE-220 CE)
Region
China
Material
Dimension
Object size: H31.0 x L37.0 cm
Accession No.
C-1470
Credit Line
Purchased with funds from The Shaw Foundation

This sturdy-looking, grey pottery figure of pony has traces of black pigment on the body eyes and red pigment on the mouth and the hooves. It is adorned with a saddle and saddle cloth. It also features a mysterious bulbous appendage on its nose.The pony would have been a funerary item that belonged to a group of 'mingqi' or burial ware found in the tombs of the ruling elite to provide for their afterlife. The custom of making ‘mingqi’ or burial wares was an ancient practice. Elaborate groups of burial wares were also a display of wealth and social status.