Horse

About 14th-early 18th century

China

Wood with brushed brown lacquer

H. 8 x L. 14 3/4 x W. 5 1/2 in. (20.3 x 37.5 x 14 cm)

Asia Society, New York: Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection, 1979.121

This wooden sculpture of a horse was made using one of two basic techniques to produce lacquer objects: the shape of the horse was carved in wood and the lacquer applied to the substructure for color and protection. The liveliness of the horse, its quivering nostrils, and its twitching tails are comparable to those of jade sculptures of horses dating to the Yuan and Qing periods. A comparable date is generally given to this horse, but it could have been produced as late as the 18th century. Both the function and the meaning of this sculpture are unclear.