A pottery figure of a recumbent horse in the Tang dynasty.

11 x 7.5cm

A pottery figure of a recumbent horse in the Tang dynasty. The animal is modeled with its legs tucked beneath the body, forming a compact and sturdy silhouette. The surface bears a reddish slip with grayish burial encrustations. Such figures were used as mingqi (funerary objects), reflecting the importance of horses in Tang society as symbols of status, mobility, and military power.

陶马呈卧姿，四肢内敛于腹下，体态敦厚稳重，造型简洁而富整体感。马首微俯前探，颈部短促有力，轮廓线条流畅自然，虽未作细部雕琢，却以概括手法准确表现出马匹沉静安伏之姿，具有唐代陶俑一贯的雄浑气息。

通体施红褐色陶衣，表面覆以灰白色风化层及土沁，肌理自然，层次丰富。胎质略显疏松，底部可见手工修整痕迹，结合中空结构，应为模制成型后加以人工修饰完成，符合唐代陶俑常见工艺特征。

唐代社会崇尚马匹，马不仅为军事与交通之核心资源，亦象征身份与权力。墓葬中常见陶马与人物俑、骆驼俑等组合陈设，用以再现墓主人生前生活场景，构建完整的地下秩序体系。

相较于施三彩釉之华美器，此类素陶陶马更显古朴内敛，重在形体与气势之表达，体现出唐代审美中“尚势重形”的艺术特征，具有朴拙而耐人寻味的艺术价值。