| The "Heavenly Horse - The Horse in Chinese Art and Culture" exhibition will be held from July 16 to October 13, 2008 at the Hong Kong Museum of History, featuring 60 sets of artifacts selected from various heritage institutes in China.
Picture shows one of the exhibits, "Gilt bronze horse" from Western Han dynasty (206 BC -AD 8). Entirely gilt, this bronze horse with its very well-defined musculature and its mane and tail rendered in great detail is a natural and realistic depiction of a horse. To defend his empire against the Xiongnu people, Emperor Wu of the Han dynasty was very keen to import equine breeds from the Western Regions to enhance the combat abilities of his cavalry. He sent envoys "with a thousand pieces of gold and a gold horse" to Ferghana with the hope of acquiring its famed steeds. He also ordered a bronze mashi ("horse model") to be erected outside the gate of Luban Men to serve as a standard against which fine steeds were selected. The Luban Men was subsequently renamed Jinma Men ("Golden Horse Gate"). This "golden horse" would have been the mashi used for authenticating fine steeds from Ferghana. During the Han period, Ferghana horses were known as Tianma ("Heavenly Horses"). They could tolerate extreme cold, and when they galloped the copious perspiration on their shoulders resembled blood. |
