This 'sancai' (‘three colour’) glazed horse is covered in a white slip (liquid clay) with an orange pigment-painted saddle. It is 'mingqi' or burial ware that would have been part of a larger group of funerary items interred in the grave of a member of the ruling elite.The custom was an ancient one. It is thought these wares were necessary for the deceased in the next world. Elaborate groups of burial wares were also a display of wealth and social status.The practice of using lead-glazed burial wares had already started during the Han dynasty (206 BCE-220 CE). This glaze technology further developed during the Tang dynasty (618-906) into ‘sancai’ (‘three-colour’) glaze. It included colours such as cream, amber, brown and blue. The glaze tradition continued into the Ming period. The importance of horses to the Chinese ruling class can be seen in the large numbers of pottery sculptures that have been found in Chinese tombs. Apart from military use, the horse also played a central role in the long-distance trade over the Silk Road.
