Woman Riding a Horse

China

618–906

Terra-cotta, pigment

Minneapolis Institute of Art

A terra-cotta sculpture depicts a woman in an orange robe riding a horse. The horse is shown in mid-gallop with its legs extended. This dynamic pottery figure captures a woman astride a galloping horse, reflecting the prominence of women’s outdoor activities in Tang society. Elite women of the period were frequently depicted riding, playing polo, or engaging in leisurely outings—scenes that appear in both tomb figures and contemporary paintings. Such images convey the greater social mobility and visibility women enjoyed during the Tang, a cosmopolitan era that celebrated refinement, sport, and courtly life. Placed in tombs, figures like this ensured the continuation of worldly pleasures while revealing the cultural ideals and daily pursuits of the Tang elite. G