Tricolor Pottery Horse

The horse was attached with great importance in the Tang dynasty, which was related to the nomadic lineage of the Li imperial family. Tang Taizong (Li Shimin, r. 627-649) had the artist Yan Liben (ca. 600-673) draw six horses to be carved in relief on stone tablets to decorate his own mausoleum, the Zhaoling Tomb. Tang Xuanzong (Li Longji, r. 712-756) trained horses to gallop in rhythm on his birthday. The many tricolor pottery horses excavated from tombs datable to the Tang dynasty reflect their fondness of horse.