Horse and Female Rider Sculpture Tang Dynasty

Horse and Rider

The statuary which is called "Female Horse and Rider" depicts an Asian woman atop a brown horse. It is a piece of art that is made from clay. There was little technological advancement such as kilns from the period, so it is likely that this piece was made from a type of clay which can be dried through the natural air. The woman wears a large, oversized brown hat which is nearly the size of her head itself. It has a large brim which would have shielded her pale skin from the dangers of the sun. This woman has extremely pale skin which shows her ethnicity and the fact that this is very likely her normal clothing type. Besides the hat, the woman has on what looks to be a yellow blouse, but may be orange. It is difficult to tell if the color differences are intentional or the result of the ravages of time. Her pants are long and dark. They look to be a dark green color with polka dots in white, but again that might be because of time rather than intent. Barely visible on the woman's feet are two shoes which are mostly covered by the long legs of her pants.

The woman on the horse has decidedly Asian physical features. She has characteristically dark hair which looks to be cut short and does not pass her neck. The right hand is raised. Her eyes are closed and her head is bent so her face is pointed at the horse. The young lady's expression is one of peace and serenity. With her hand movements and her facial expression, it seems that the woman figure is having some conversation with her horse, either telling it to speed up or to rest, or perhaps to calm down from a highly tense encounter on the Silk Road.

The horse that the woman rides atop has individual characteristics as well which allow it to transcend the medium. It is a simple brown horse with black hair. It holds the rider in a black saddle with black straps keeping the saddle on. The horse faces the ground as though it is in some sort of distress. Much of the facial features have been worn away by time, so it is hard to say for certain what the artist intended to depict in the horse's attitude. However, based on its head position and the very straight posture of his or her legs, it would seem to indicate that the horse is experiencing some negative emotion or is in some physical distress, such as being exhausted.

The figure is a perfect example of a person who would need to utilize the Silk Road. In Ancient China, trade was an extremely important factor in daily life. The Silk Road was an important part of this process. In order to succeed, merchants would have to sell their wares to people in other places, travelling hundreds of miles in order to sell their goods. To do this, they would use the Silk Road. This was a long path which had been travelled by merchants for enough of a period that it formed a dirt road leading from Asia into Europe and to Northern Africa for trades people to sell their wares. Before the creation of this route, people who had to travel in order to sell things faced great dangers. They would be harmed, robbed, and even killed by people they interacted with on the road. There would be little protection, no authority, and little recourse for individuals who committed crimes against merchants. When the traders and merchants started using the Silk Road, the situation was much safer because there was a lot more traffic on the route and thus less likelihood for violence. The type of figure which is shown in the artwork would be the woman or man who took their items along the road to trade. She would need a large hat to protect her skin from the sun. Also, she would need long pant legs to protect her from the terrain. A horse would be the mode of transportation that she would need to utilize as it can travel long distances while carrying heavy loads. The figure's horse seems understandably tired after what has presumably been a very long trip from Asia, along the Silk Road, and into the lands for trade.