Gilded bronze horse, Western Han Dynasty (202 BC-9 AD). H. 62 cm x W. 76 cm. Unearthed from a tomb in Maoling Mausoleum of Emperor Wu of Han (157–87 BCE), Xingping, Shaanxi. © Maoling Museum, Xianyang, Shaanxi.

Discovered in 1981, this gilded bronze horse, modeled after the Ferghana horse, also known as the "blood-sweating horse", from the Xiyu (Western Regions. Standing calmly yet powerfully, it features a chest with taut muscles and sharply defined hooves – solid and strong, embodying the might of the Han Empire and reflecting the highly developed horse culture of the Han Dynasty.