Horse

Greenish hetian jade with flaws and veins has been coated with grayish pigments that remained in most crevices and grooves, suggesting the 'roan coat of this horse. . Balance and movement have been captured with extraordinary virtuosity to give the animal a lively air. The head is turned toward the rear in a profile position; the torso twists to recline partly on the belly and bent front legs and partly on the withers with hind legs raised. The tail curves gracefully between the rear legs. Incisions are used sparingly to suggest anatomical details.

The unique design of this horse significantly changed the style of jade horses, which are usually portrayed standing or reclining on all four legs. Beginning in the Zhou period, metalwork and jade art depicted northern horses as short and strong. A small horse standing upright, found in a tomb from the Warring States Period (481–221 bce) in Shandong, is typical of the classical mode (Zgyqqj 1993, vol. 3, plate 147). Paintings during the Song (960–1279) and Yuan (1272–1368) periods, which portrayed herds of thousands of horses in wild fields or at the feet of mountains, attempted to show the animals' precise movements, viewed from a horizontal perspective at torso level. These paintings changed the way horses were depicted and influenced the style of painting in later periods.