Ca. 1368-1644 AD. Chinese Ming Dynasty. Ceramic. This figurine shows a groom, dressed in a dark blue tunic, with light blue trim, a light blue belt and light blue trousers, standing by a horse with one arm extended as if to hold the reins. The horse stands still, with mane falling over its neck, and its tail flicking over the hindquarters, as though swatting flies. The horse's equipment is modelled in high relief with the saddle painted dark blue, whilst the rest of the equipment is coloured shades of light blue. Horses were an important status symbol in ancient China. These animals were brought to China via the Silk Road and were considered a luxury good. As such horses were a sign of wealth among the elite, and there were strict laws which restricted the ownership of horses to people of elevated rank. In fact, soldiers serving in China’s military had to provide their own mounts indicating that only the richest members of society could serve in the cavalry. This exceptionally well-preserved terracotta is part of a long tradition of horse statuettes in China, and in fact, the earliest known example of a stirrup, today a mainstay of equestrianism, was found on another Chinese statue of a horse from Hunan province, dated to AD 302 (see Cartier, M. 1993.‘Considérations sur l'histoire du harnachement et de l'équitation en Chine.’ Anthropozoologica, 18, 29-44). Excellent condition.Size: L:160mm / W:195mm ; 835g; Provenance: Private collection of an Oxford professional, formed in the 1970s-1990s on the UK art market.