This cast-metal sculpture represents a stylized horse inspired by the long artistic traditions of China. In Chinese culture, the horse has long been linked to speed, success, and high status, making it a powerful symbol of progress and vitality. For generations, horses appeared in royal art, military imagery, and traditional stories across the region, coming to represent courage, energy, and purposeful forward movement.

The figure is shaped with lively, expressive forms. The raised posture, flowing mane, and rounded body give the sculpture a sense of motion and character, reflecting forms associated with historic Chinese horse imagery and the expressive freedom found in later interpretations inspired by Han Dynasty art.

Artisans created pieces like this using traditional casting methods inspired by the famous “Flying Horse of Gansu” archetype. The form is first modeled, then cast in metal before an antiquing process is applied. This approach allows subtle details to emerge while preserving the character of handmade work.

The horse comes complete on its blackened metal support and with its printed story inside a refined envelope.

As a natural characteristic of aged cast metal, the surface patina may continue to evolve subtly over time, developing gentle variations in tone that form part of the piece’s authentic ageing process.

Material: Cast metal
Origin: China
Period: Vintage / Mid-to-Late 20th Century
Iconography: Galloping horse, symbol of speed, career success, and forward movement
Dimensions with the metal support: ca 43 x 26 x 10cm

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