Northern Qi Equestrian Figure

This dignified equestrian is a soldier from the Northern Qi dynasty, and was sculpted in Shandong province over 1,500 years ago as a míngqì burial figure for a wealthy nobleman. Depicting the pleasures of daily life, míngqì figurines were offerings to one's spirit to ensure comfort and special treatment in the afterlife. This rider’s mild, tranquil expression and the straight legs and strongly curved neck of his horse are characteristic of míngqì from this period.