Clay Figures of Horses 313 



Numerous clay figures of horses and cavaliers have been unearthed 

 in recent years from the graves of Shen-si and Ho-nan, and a brief 

 description of these may find a suitable place here. Particulars in 

 regard to the history of the burial of such clay figures and their signifi- 

 cance will be given in Part II. The observation of the local differentia- 

 tions is an essential point of view to be pursued in the study of these 

 clay figures. 



The divergence between the grave-finds of Ho-nan and Shen-si is 

 peculiarly manifest in the horses. Those of Shen-si usually represent 

 the bare horse in a sober and mechanical conception; 1 those of Ho-nan 

 illustrate more realistic types, always harnessed, in a variety of poses 

 effected particularly by manifold turns of the neck. Most of the horses 

 are posed on a flat rectangular clay base. Among seven clay horses of 

 miniature size acquired by the writer at Si-ngan fu, six are almost 

 identical, while the seventh is differentiated only in that the mane is 

 coarsely fashioned. The horse on Plate LXII is an exception, being 

 somewhat better shaped, and coated with soft lead glazes in three colors, 

 — a deep brown, a light yellow, and a plant green; also saddle and sad- 

 dle-cloth are represented (but not the stirrups); the saddle is padded 

 with a textile material gracefully draped on both sides. The horse 

 shown on Plate LXIII excels by its massive dimensions, but is other- 

 wise the outcome of the routine work of an ordinary craftsman. The 

 Ho-nan horses, on the other hand, appeal to us by the gracefulness of 

 their motions, and the variety of actions in which they are represented 

 (Plates LXIV, LXV) ; also the details of the harness are better and more 

 efficiently worked out. In the horse on Plate LXVI, the trappings with 

 their ornaments in metal, the tinkling bells on the breastband, as well as 

 the lotus-flower designs on the crupper, are neatly moulded in relief. 



The clay figure of the horse on Plate LXVI I, found in fragmentary 

 condition north of the city of Ho-nan fu in 19 10, is notable for its un- 

 usual dimensions and its perfect glazing. 2 The natural coloration of the 

 animal is reproduced by a light-yellow soft lead glaze; the saddle, of the 



pilgrim Huan Tsang reports that the Indian war-elephants were covered with strong 

 armature (S. Beal, Buddhist Records of the Western World, Vol. I, p. 82). In 

 Tibet the high officers sometimes clothe their horse with armor, and a set was cap- 

 tured by the British expedition under Colonel Younghusband. A Tibetan cavalry- 

 man whose horse is clad with chanf rin, neck and breast guard, is pictured in Wad- 

 dell's Lhasa and its Mysteries (Plate opp. p. 168). 



1 Sometimes a mere saddle is represented without any other trappings ; such a 

 horse will be figured in Part II as forming part of a complete set of finds from the same 

 grave. 



2 The technique and colors of these glazes are identical with those on the statue 

 of the Arhat recently acquired by the British Museum, and ably described by R. L. 

 Hobson {Burlington Magazine, Vol. XXV, 1914, pp. 69-73). The excellent colored 

 plate accompanying this article affords a good view of the T'ang potter's glazes. 



