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The T’ang Dynasty was an era of unrivalled
wealth and luxury. The country was successfully
reunified and the borders were expanded,
pushing Chinese influence into new lands.
Confucianism became a semi-religious
instrument of the state; yet Buddhism continued
to flourish, spreading into Korea and Japan. The
arts reached new levels of sophistication. Poetry
and literature flourished under the enlightened
rulers. The Silk Road brought fortunes into
China. Precious treasures were imported on the
backs of camels from far away lands and
bartered for Chinese silk, medicinal herbs, and
pungent spices. T’ang China was a multicultural
empire where foreign merchants from across
Central Asia and the Middle East settled in the
urban centers, foremost among them the
thriving capital of Chang’an (modern X’ian), a
bustling cosmopolitan center of over two million
inhabitants. Foreign traders lived next to native
artisans and both thrived. New ideas and exotic
artistic forms followed alongside. The T’ang
Dynasty was a cultural renaissance where many
of the forms and objects we now associate with
China were first created. Moreover, this period
represents one of the greatest cultural
outpourings in human history.
Horses were among the most revered creatures
in ancient China. The speed and strength of
these majestic creatures was vital to the
protection and expansion of the Chinese empire.
While the local Mongol Pony was native to the
region, larger and faster breeds were imported
from Central Asia, eventually leading to the
establishment of the Silk Road. This large
sculpture of a groom might just represent one of
the foreigners who imported such horses.
Elegantly dressed in a colored tunic held in place
with a black sash tied at his waist, his stature
reveals the wealth that these creatures provided
their owners and trainers with. His distinctive
plump, round face, broad, flat nose, and large
eyes reveal his foreign status.
During the T’ang Dynasty, it was not uncommon
for foreigners to reside in the larger
cosmopolitan centers of the empire. While this
groom might have accompanied a prized steed
on the long and arduous journey from Central
Asia to its new owner inside China, it is just as
likely that this expert groom lived and resided in
China, tending to the needs of a royal stable of
stallions. Clearly, this groom is no meager
peasant, but a refined and respected foreigner
who was memorialized in this sculpture. He
holds his right arm in the air, as if reaching for
the reigns. We can easily picture him lovingly
combing a horse and brushing its mane. This
groom is no mere worker, but a talented and
respected artist who brought out the full beauty
of these revered creatures.
- (H.698)
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