Emperor Xuanzong of the Ming on Horseback, Anonymous. Hanging scroll, ink and colors on silk, 84.1 x 68.1 cm.

This painting bears no inscription of the artist, but attached at the lower left is a small label with four characters in running script that reads, "Xuanzong indulging in pleasure." Depicting Xuanzong on horseback on a hunting trip, a falcon is perched on his arm as he gallops by the banks of a river to scare up wild geese. Historical records indicate that Xuanzong was fond of arts related to the bow and horse, being gifted at horseback archery. In the painting here, Xuanzong is shown with a full face and dense beard as he wears thin white riding boots as well as a collared right-folding yellow robe decorated with brocade over the chest, shoulders, and knees. His hat with a bead at the top is thought to have been influenced by that used by nomadic peoples of the plains in the Yuan dynasty. The decoration on either side of the hat is identical to that worn by Xuanzong in the handscroll "Emperor Xuanzong of the Ming Indulging in Pleasure," now in the Palace Museum, Beijing.

Text and images are provided by National Palace Museum