The Taerpo Horserider is a terracotta figurine dated to the 4th-3rd century BCE from a Qin tomb in the Taerpo cemetery (塔兒坡墓), near Xianyang in Shaanxi. Another nearly-identical statuette is known, from the same tomb. Small holes in his hands suggest that he was originally holding reins in one hand, and a weapon in the other.[1]
| Taerpo Horserider | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Material | Terracotta |
| Size | 23 cm tall[1] |
| Created | 4th–3rd century BCE |
| Discovered | Taerpo cemetery, near Xianyang 34°21′41″N 108°44′36″E / 34.361309°N 108.743223°E[2] |
| Present location | Xianyang Museum
.png)  Taerpo Taerpo (Continental Asia) _in_Xi%27an.png) |
This is the earliest known representation of a cavalryman in China.[1] Very few such figurines are known from this time, prior to the 210 BCE Terracotta Army.[3] The outfit is of Central Asian style, probably Saka,[4] and the rider with his large nose appears to be a foreigner.[1] King Zheng of Qin (246–221 BCE) is also known to have employed steppe cavalry men in his army, as seen in the Terracotta Army.[5]
Only red and white are used as colors, as most terracotta statuettes known from the Qin state period. According to Duan Qingbo, there is a possibility that these miniature human and horse shapes were inspired by Scytho-Siberian art, as seen in objects such as the figurines of the Saka incense burners.[6]
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Another view of the statuette -
Taerpo horserider (face detail) -
![Difference in realism between the Taerpo statuette (4th-3rd century BCE) and the Terracotta Army (210 BCE).[7]](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Taerpo_statuette_%28face%2C_4th-3rd_century_BCE%29_vs_Terracotta_Army_%28210_BCE%29.jpg/200px-Taerpo_statuette_%28face%2C_4th-3rd_century_BCE%29_vs_Terracotta_Army_%28210_BCE%29.jpg)
Difference in realism between the Taerpo statuette (4th-3rd century BCE) and the Terracotta Army (210 BCE).[7] -
Front view
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![Difference in realism between the Taerpo statuette (4th-3rd century BCE) and the Terracotta Army (210 BCE).[7]](/wiki/File:Taerpo_statuette_(face,_4th-3rd_century_BCE)_vs_Terracotta_Army_(210_BCE).jpg)
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References
edit- ^ a b c d Khayutina, Maria (Autumn 2013). "From wooden attendants to terracotta warriors" (PDF). Bernisches Historisches Museum the Newsletter. 65: 2, fig. 4. Also in Khayutina, Maria (2013). Qin: the eternal emperor and his terracotta warriors. Zürich: Neue Zürcher Zeitung. no. 314. ISBN 978-3-038-23838-6.
- ^ 咸阳塔儿坡秦墓 发现战国晚期墓葬385座_考古_文物_墓地. www.sohu.com (in Chinese).
- ^ Nickel, Lukas (October 2013). "The First Emperor and sculpture in China". Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies. 76 (3): 416–418. doi:10.1017/S0041977X13000487. ISSN 0041-977X.
- ^ Qingbo, Duan (January 2023). "Sino-Western Cultural Exchange as Seen through the Archaeology of the First Emperor's Necropolis" (PDF). Journal of Chinese History. 7 (1): 26, fig. 1, 27. doi:10.1017/jch.2022.25. S2CID 251690411.
- ^ Rawson, Jessica (April 2017). "China and the steppe: reception and resistance". Antiquity. 91 (356): 386. doi:10.15184/aqy.2016.276. S2CID 165092308.
- ^ Duan, Qingbo (2018). Persian and Greek Participation in the making of China's First Empire. UCLA. Event occurs at 41:00-44:00).
- ^ Nickel, Lukas (October 2013). "The First Emperor and sculpture in China". Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies. 76 (3): 416–421. doi:10.1017/S0041977X13000487. ISSN 0041-977X.