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- Animals for the Spirit World
Many different kinds of domestic animals were depicted as figurines and placed in tombs from ancient times until the last imperial dynasty. Judging from the great number found in ancient tombs, horses were prized above all other animals. We know from the excavated pits of sacrificial horses and chariots from the Shang and Zhou period (sixteenth to third centuries b.c.) tombs, that the horse was one of the most cherished possessions of the members of the aristocracy (fig. i).
In the terracotta army excavated near Qin Shi Huang�s mausoleum (d. 210 b.c.), there are numerous life-size horses, which were yoked to war chariots, as well as being used in the cavalry. In 1980 some bronze carriages with half life-size bronze horses were excavated next to Qin Shi Huang�s tumulus. Both the terracotta and bronze horses from his tomb are extremely fine specimens and show a great deal of realism (figs, ii, iii).
In order to compete with the mounted nomads on their borders, the Chinese had to abandon their war chariots and develop a cavalry with swift nomadic horses. In 105 b.c, Han Emperor Wu invaded and took possession of an area west of China called Ferghana, where there was an ample supply of the famous �celestial,� �blood�sweating� horses which were vital to strengthening his cavalry. Following the annexation, this new breed of horse was successfully introduced into China and proved infinitely better for draught and riding than earlier breeds known in China. The renown of this tall western horse made them a prestigious status symbol of the wealthy class, and as a result they were depicted as ceramic figurines placed with the dead. Not only do we find this magnificent horse portrayed in clay during the Han period, but also in wood, bronze, stone and jade. In fact, amongst the most famous Han statues are three figurines of horses: the stone sculpture of a horse over a nomad outside the tomb of Huo Qubing (d. 117 b.c.), a gilt-bronze horse recently found near the mausoleum of the Western Han Emperor Wu (fig. iv), and the famous �flying� horse in bronze excavated in 1961 from an Eastern Han tomb at Wuwei in Gansu province (fig. v). The Han were great lovers of horses and the huge number of statues in various media attest to the popularity of this subject in works of art. Two small-scale Western Han dynasty terracotta armies with large numbers of horses have recently been excavated at Yangjiawan in Shaanxi province and at Shizi Shan near Xuzhou, Jiangsu province.
From the third to sixth centuries during the period of disunity in China, we find that horses continue to be a popular subject for tomb figurines. In particular, the Northern Wei dynasty (386-534), produced an elegant and refined tomb figurine of a horse (fig. vi). The horse, sometimes with a rider, is depicted with a flared saddle blanket, four legs firmly planted apart, a slightly lowered rump, a powerfully arched neck, and a comparatively small head. These horses with their rich trappings and fairy-like elegance offer a nice contrast to the stocky, deep-chested horses of Han art. The Wei also modelled powerful horse figurines in full armour which evoke comparisons with the age of chivalry in Europe (fig. 28).
The short-lived dynasties following the Northern Wei dynasty do not seem to have created an outstanding version of the horse tomb figurine. In most cases these horses, which were often depicted mounted and in processions, lack detail and spirit. However, the Tang dynasty (618-907), was a �Golden Age� for the creation of horse figurines, both in colour and in shape. The Tang period was a time when the horse again played an important military role in unifying and expanding the country. Tang ceramic horses, which are sometimes depicted prancing or involved in a polo match, are the epitome of grace and elegance. The vigorous expressions, the accuracy of
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