Ca. 1368-1644 AD An extremely fine moulded terracotta figure of a soldier shown on horseback. The cream-coloured horse is depicted in a standing pose with its neck stretching forward and its tail loose. The mane is glazed in blue. The horse's trappings, including the bridle and breastplate, saddle blanket, and breeching are moulded in the round and coloured in a dark glaze. The rider wears a helmet, a dark blue coat or suit of armour and carries a decorated shield in front of him.This exceptionally well-preserved terracotta is part of a long tradition of horse statuettes in China; the earliest known example of a stirrup, today a mainstay of equestrianism, was found on a statue of a horse from Hunan province dated to 302 AD (see Cartier, M. 1993. 'Considérations sur l'histoire du harnachement et de l'équitation en Chine.' Anthropozoologica, 18, 29-44). Size: L:300mm / W:240mm ; 1.8Kg Provenance: East Anglian private collection; formerly acquired in the early 1990s in Hong Kong.