Here is some history about this statue:
A number of these Chinese bronze galloping bronze horses in various sizes were discovered at a burial site in the Leitai Tomb of Wuwei County, Gansu Province, China in 1969. These bronze date back to the Ware and Han Dynasties. Bronze statues were of great value for merchants selling their wares on the Silk Road back in those days. During this period, real galloping horses were warring (war) horses, also known as heavenly horses. Heavenly horses were closely related to dragons and flew through the heavens on wings. It's possible that these bronze statues might represent these legendary steeds. Heavenly horses played a crucial role in the trade along the northern routes of the Silk Road, connecting Xi'an to Lanzhou, Dunhuang, Turfan, and Kashgar during the Han dynasty. The real horses as well as these bronze flying horses allure extended beyond mere transportation; they embodied myth, power, and cultural exchange, bridging distant lands and sparking imaginations. Chinese merchants did trade these bronze statues for silk and well as other valuable wares along the Silk Road during this period.
Of the 117 bronze objects found in the tomb, some of the bronze statues of flying horses were displayed at the Royal Ontario Museum and in the book "The Chinese Exhibition" from the archaeological finds of the People's Republic of China held at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, Ontario, Canda 8 August- 16 November 1974. Many of these bronze horses detailed drawings are of Gods, men, horses, and of the myth of Hsi Wang Mu, the "Queen Mother of the West", and of the paradise in the Western Mountains where she presided over immortals and attended by winged men. See pages 117-119 for detailed information.
About this bronze statue:
This very old Chinese bronze galloping horse standing on a flying swallow (small bird) is probably from the Han dynasty. The horse, frozen mid-gallop, gracefully places its left hind foot on a flying bird (swallow). This is a great depiction of a galloping horse.
The horse and swallow are covered in hand carved repeating etched and carved designs of the Gods, heaven, everyday life, and the myth of the "Queen Mother." The horse and bird have lots of patina and oxidation due to its age and probable tomb burial.
As described above, this bronze galloping horse may have been unearthed at the burial site in the Leita Tomb of Wuwei Contry, Gansu Providence, China, in 1969.
The statue approximate dimensions and other features are as follows:
Material: Bronze
Height: 8.5 in or 21.59 cm
Width: 11 in or 27.94 cm (widest point)
Depth: 2 in or 5.08 cm
Weight: 1.8 lb or 0.82 kg
Age: Han Dynasty (202 BC - 9 AD, 25-220 AD)
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