This terracotta figurine features a female rider on a horse and it reflects the level of social freedom women were allowed during the Tang dynasty. For example, the Persian horse-riding sport of polo was highly popular amongst the Chinese elite, and women often played the sport. This would have been part of a group of pottery tomb figures.The custom of making burial wares or ‘mingqi’ 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 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 uses, the horse also played a central role in the long-distance trade over the Silk Road.
