What does the blood-sweating horse, for which Emperor Wu of Han was willing to wage war, look like?
As a cultural exchange ambassador, the gilded bronze horse not only provides tangible material for the study of horse breeding history in Central Asia but also showcases the exquisite craftsmanship of Chinese artisans over two thousand years ago to people around the world, highlighting the splendid ancient Chinese civilization. China News Service reporter, Alina.
An accidental discovery in a certain year brought to light a gilded bronze horse that had been buried underground for over two thousand years, causing a sensation. This gilded bronze horse, crafted during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han based on the prototype of the Ferghana horse, was bestowed upon Princess Pingyang. It is currently the largest gilded artifact discovered from the Western Han period. Emperor Wu's quest for the Ferghana horse had a significant impact on the countries of the Western Regions at that time, promoting mutual exchanges. Today, as the "treasure of the museum" of the Maoling Museum, the gilded bronze horse has been exhibited in various countries and regions.
What are the characteristics of the gilded bronze horse, and how has it become an envoy of cross-cultural communication? Tian Hui, the director of the Maoling Museum, recently addressed these questions in an exclusive interview with China News Service's "East-West Question."
The following is a summary of the interview transcript:
China News Service reporter: How was the gilded bronze horse discovered? Why is it said that the owner of this artifact was of noble status?
Tian Hui: The Mausoleum of Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che, known as Maoling, is the largest, longest-constructed, and most richly furnished among the imperial tombs of the Han Dynasty. It boasts numerous satellite tombs, including those of historically renowned figures such as Lady Li, Wei Qing, Huo Qubing, Huo Guang, and Jin Midi, all of whom are buried here.
In a certain year and month, while leveling the land, villagers unexpectedly discovered cultural relics. After two days and nights of careful excavation, a total of artifacts were unearthed, among which was a gilded bronze horse. Additionally, precious items such as a gilded silver bamboo-jointed incense burner, a gilded bronze tiger paperweight, a gilded bronze basin, and a chain-handled bronze warming stove were also excavated. It is evident from these findings that the tomb owner held a distinguished status.
The tomb of the gilded bronze horse unearthed from the first burial pit of the first auxiliary tomb of Maoling is believed to belong to Princess Pingyang. Princess Pingyang was the eldest daughter of Emperor Jing of Han, Liu Qi, and Empress Wang Zhi, and the elder sister of Emperor Wu of Han. Initially titled Princess Yangxin, she married Marquis Pingyang, Cao Shou, hence she was known as Princess Pingyang. After Emperor Wu of Han ascended the throne, she was honored as the Grand Princess. After Cao Shou's death, she remarried Marquis Ruyin, Xiahou Po. Following Xiahou Po's suicide out of fear of punishment, she married Grand Marshal Wei Qing. After her death, she was buried in Maoling.
Gilded Bronze Horse. Photo provided by the Maoling Museum.
China News Service reporter: What are the characteristics of the gilded bronze horse, the "treasure of the museum" at the Maoling Museum, and how does it prove that its prototype is the Akhal-Teke horse?
田晖：鎏金铜马高厘米，长厘米，重千克，通体铜铸鎏金，是茂陵博物馆所藏文物中最大的一件鎏金器。
The horse holds its head high with its tail raised, standing firmly on all four legs. Its posture is robust, with muscles and bones sculpted in anatomically correct proportions. The head is particularly vivid, featuring a pink nose, bright eyes, and a slightly open mouth revealing six teeth. Its ears are erect, with mane between the ears and on the neck. The body is hollow, embodying a sense of motion within stillness, exuding an extraordinary aura with the potential to gallop a thousand miles in a single breath. This horse has a small head, a long neck, prominent musculature, and very slender legs, typical characteristics of the Akhal-Teke breed.
Although this gilded bronze horse was made using a mold, the detailed "depiction" of each part of the horse, including the eyes, nostrils, six teeth, and the fleshy horn between the ears, reflects the high level of mold-making craftsmanship during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han.
The gilded bronze horse is hollow in shape, cast in two halves using molds and then welded in the middle, with the tail also welded, and the welding marks are still visible today. Its exterior is treated with gilding. According to historical records, the gilding technique at that time mostly used the "mud gold method," which involved cutting gold foil into fragments, adding mercury to heat, forming a gold-mercury amalgam, and then applying it to the object with a mixture of salt and alum. After heating, hammering, baking, and pressing, it became a shiny gilded surface.
我们推测当时应该生产了一批鎏金铜马，其中一件御赐给平阳长公主，后被带到了陪葬墓中。这批鎏金铜马的工艺技术达到了当时的最高水平，而且从选料、工艺、体型和用途等诸多方面，代表和揭示了当时皇亲贵族家庭陈设和享用物品的豪华。
Maoling Museum. Photo provided by Maoling Museum.
China News Service reporter: Why was the gilded bronze horse modeled after the Ferghana horse during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han?
Tian Hui: Emperor Wu of Han's "Song of the Heavenly Horse from the Western Extremity" states: "The heavenly horse comes from the western extremity, traversing ten thousand li to return to the virtuous. Bearing divine might, it subdues foreign lands, crossing the shifting sands to pacify the four barbarians." During the Western Han period, the imperial court needed horses, especially fine horses, to combat the Xiongnu and secure the borders. Emperor Wu of Han's emphasis on horses is thus understandable.
In the year BCE, Emperor Wu of Han sent envoys with a thousand taels of gold and a gold horse to the Kingdom of Dayuan to exchange for the famed Ferghana horses. However, Dayuan not only refused the exchange but also killed the Han envoys. Upon hearing this, Emperor Wu was furious and appointed Li Guangli as the General of Ershi to lead a campaign against Dayuan. This expedition consumed vast amounts of manpower and resources and had a significant impact on the various states of the Western Regions. Many states broke free from the control of the Xiongnu and established friendly relations with the Han Dynasty. Consequently, interactions between the Han Dynasty and the states of the Western Regions gradually became more frequent. Grapes and alfalfa from Dayuan, pomegranates from Parthia, as well as broad beans, cucumbers, walnuts, sesame, and garlic from other countries were successfully transplanted into Han territory. Meanwhile, Han technologies such as textile manufacturing, iron smelting, and well drilling spread to the Western Regions, facilitating extensive exchanges between Eastern and Western civilizations and making significant contributions to the development of world civilization.
China News Service reporter: What other horse-related artifacts are housed in the Maoling Museum, and how do their designs differ from the gilded bronze horse?
Tian Hui: The importance placed on horses during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han is self-evident. Among the collection of the Maoling Museum, there are artifacts related to horses such as the stone carving of a horse trampling a Xiongnu, a green-glazed terracotta figure of a Hu rider on horseback, and a painted horse head from the Western Han Dynasty.
Among them, the Western Han Dynasty stone carvings in front of the tomb of Huo Qubing, the Grand Marshal and Champion Marquis, are the earliest, most well-preserved, and artistically valuable large-scale ancient stone carvings discovered in China to date. There are currently seventeen stone carvings remaining. Among these, three are related to horses, including "Rising Horse," "Leaping Horse," and "Horse Trampling a Xiongnu," which are also the core pieces of this group of stone carvings. The "Rising Horse" depicts a horse hearing the call to battle, eager to rush to the battlefield; the "Leaping Horse" appears to be charging forward to subdue a formidable enemy; and the "Horse Trampling a Xiongnu" shows a horse standing firmly on its base, with its hooves pressing down on an enemy beneath it.
The top left image depicts a leaping horse, the bottom left image shows a horse in the act of rising, and the image on the right portrays a horse trampling a Xiongnu warrior. All images are provided by the Maoling Museum.
From the physique and form of these three horses, it can be observed that the prototype horses differ from the Ferghana horses. By the time the Ferghana horses were introduced to the Han Dynasty, Huo Qubing had already passed away. The necks of these three horses are not as long as those of the Ferghana horses, but their heads are quite similar, and their legs are slender. It is speculated that they were sculpted based on the war horses used by Huo Qubing in battle, indicating that the war horses used by Huo Qubing were in excellent condition. After the introduction of the Ferghana horses, they greatly contributed to the improvement of war horses.
Among the artifacts housed in the Maoling Museum are green-glazed pottery figurines of foreign horsemen and painted horse heads from the Western Han Dynasty, which are related to horses. These artifacts differ in form from the gilded bronze horses and the warhorses in front of Huo Qubing's tomb, representing the different postures of horses used for various purposes at that time. They provide valuable physical evidence for understanding the overall situation of horses during the Western Han Dynasty.
China News Service reporter: How did this "Ferghana horse" from over two thousand years ago become an envoy of cross-cultural exchange?
Tian Hui: The gilded bronze horse has not undergone any professional restoration since its excavation. Its surface still gleams with a golden shine, and the entire body is well-preserved. Both domestic and foreign visitors marvel at the metallurgical and casting techniques of the Western Han Dynasty when they come to see it. The gilded bronze horse has become an outstanding representative of gilded artifacts from the Western Han Dynasty, showcasing the strong national power of the Han Dynasty at that time.
As the "treasure of the museum" of the Maoling Museum, the gilded bronze horse has been exhibited in various countries and regions including Japan, Germany, France, and the United States, sparking a wave of visits wherever it goes. As an envoy of cultural exchange, the gilded bronze horse not only provides physical evidence for the study of horse breeding history in Central Asia but also showcases the exceptional craftsmanship of Chinese artisans over two thousand years ago, highlighting the splendid ancient Chinese civilization. Through exhibitions and other forms of exchange, it allows people from all over the world to better understand Chinese history and culture, promoting cultural exchanges and mutual learning between the East and the West.
Interviewee Profile:*
Tian Hui. Photo provided by the interviewee.
田晖，茂陵博物馆馆长。
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Original Title: "Tian Hui: Unveiling the 'Sweating Blood' Horses from Over Two Thousand Years Ago - East-West Inquiry" Text Editor: Xu Huangguan Image Editor: Cui Chuqiao Layout: Liang Jing Proofreading: Wei Yuan Editor-in-Charge: Song Fangcan
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