Horse with sancai (“Three color”) glaze

This finely modeled tomb figure is part of a group of 10 sancai-glazed ceramic animals and attendants that once accompanied an elite individual into the afterlife. The horse’s powerful stance, tricolor glaze, and detailed saddle reflect the importance of horses in Tang society, symbolizing status, military strength, and cosmopolitan culture. Such figures were intended to ensure comfort and prestige for the deceased, embodying the prosperity and artistic refinement of the Tang era.