This lead-glazed or 'sancai' (‘three colour’) horse with pigment-painted saddle would have been part of a group of pottery tomb animals made for the ruling elite to provide for their afterlife. It has the remains of red and black pigments and a raised front hoof to paw the air, as though prancing.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. This tradition of decoration 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 uses, the horse also played a central role in the long-distance trade over the Silk Road. The custom of making 'mingqi' or burial wares was an ancient practice. Elaborate groups of burial wares were also a display of wealth and social status.
