Ca. 1368–1644 AD. Ming dynasty. An extremely fine moulded terracotta figure of a male rider shown on horseback. The cream-coloured horse is depicted in a standing pose with its neck stretching forward and its tail loose. The mane and tail are glazed in blue. The horse's trappings, including the bridle and breastplate, saddle blanket, and breeching are moulded in the round and coloured in a dark glaze. The rider wears a high conical hat and a dark coloured coat, his left arm is bent towards the body. Horses were an important status symbol in ancient China. They 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, there were laws that restricted the ownership of them to people of elevated rank. The 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; the earliest known example of a stirrup, today a mainstay of equestrianism, was found on a statue of a horse from Hunan province dated to 302 AD (see Cartier, M. 1993. 'Considérations sur l'histoire du harnachement et de l'équitation en Chine.' Anthropozoologica, 18, 29-44). Excellent condition. For an overview of the art of the Ming Dynasty, see Department of Asian Art. (2000). "Ming Dynasty (1368-1644)"; In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art (http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/ming/hd_ming.htm). Provenance: From the private collection of a Somerset gentleman; previously in an old British collection, formed before 2000 on the UK /European art markets. Size: L:370mm / W:265mm ; 2.5kg