Five Horses - Main Painting 5
Meet the 'Brocade Shoulder Piebald,' a star horse from 1086 AD! This section of Li Gonglin's famous 'Five Horses' scroll shows a sturdy tribute horse from the western tribes, led by a rugged, bare-chested groom who looks like he's seen a lot of miles. The text on the right acts like an ancient receipt, recording the horse's age (8 years old) and height when it arrived at the imperial stable. Li Gonglin was the ultimate master of 'baimiao' (plain line drawing), using delicate ink strokes to capture the muscle and spirit of the animal with incredible realism.
- Technique
- Ink on paper
Location: Tokyo National Museum