Central Asian groom pasturing a horse

A turbaned Central Asian groom intensely watches over a white horse tied to a tree. The red tassel hanging from the bridle and the red string on the tail indicate the horse's high value and the likelihood that it was intended to be a gift to the throne. Such a theme-a foreign groom and a tribute horse waiting for imperial presentation-suggests that the original composition may have been created when China was under Mongol rule during the Yuan dynasty (1279-1368) and contacts with Central Asia were particularly strong. Since several later paintings with identical or similar compositions are known, this work was most likely produced by a workshop during the subsequent Ming dynasty (1368-1644), when the horse trade with Central Asia was still an important economic factor.