Chinese Ceramic Saddled Horse

He was made to serve in the next world, and he stands ready.

This saddled horse comes from China and dates to the Tang Dynasty (618 – 907 CE), made of terra cotta. Tang tombs were furnished with ceramic figures so that the dead would keep their comforts and status, and horses, prized by the elite of the time, were among the favorites. He stands square on a flat base, neck arched and head lowered, with a ridged mane and a high saddle. Traces of red and pale slip cling to a pinkish body. Thirteen and a half inches high.

Thirteen centuries on, he has still not been told to stand down.