Ca. 1368-1644 AD. Ming Dynasty. Ceramic Horse with Rider. An elegant ceramic figurine depicting a grey horse in a standing pose with its neck stretching forward and its tail loose, over one hind quarter. The horse’s trappings, including the bridle and breastplate, saddle blanket, and breeching are molded in the round and coloured in striking blue. The rider is shown dressed in period-typical garb with the tunic painted in blue and wearing a brimmed orange coloured conical hat. Horses were an important status symbol in ancient China. These animals were brought to China via the Silk Road and were considered a luxury good. As such horses were a sign of wealth among the elite, and there were strict laws which restricted the ownership of horses to people of elevated rank. In fact, soldiers serving in China’s military had to provide their own mounts indicating that only the richest members of society could serve in the cavalry. This exceptionally well-preserved terracotta is part of a long tradition of horse statuettes in China, and in fact, the earliest known example of a stirrup, today a mainstay of equestrianism, was found on another Chinese statue of a horse from Hunan province, dated to AD 302. Provenance: Important London collection of Ancient art; formed in 1970-80s then passed by descent. Size: L:420mm / W:320mm ; 3.3kg