Horses and Camels: Strategic Beasts of the Silk Road

Find out how new breeds of horses transformed early Chinese society. Use the internet to find examples of Han and Tang dynasty horses and camels.

Begin with objects at The Minneapolis Institute of Arts:
Go to www.artsmia.org/arts-of-asia
Select “China” then “Explore the Collection”
Conduct searches for horses and camels on this site, read the accompanying text and answer the following questions:

• When did the new breed of horse enter China (what dynasty/century)?
• From what country/region did they come from?
• What impact did the horse have on Chinese society?

Were all traders on the Silk Road Chinese? Find an image of a Central Asian on camelback.

Your Own Search
Use the internet to find other examples of Han and Tang dynasty horses and camels. You won’t have any trouble finding interesting sites! Select an object or a group of objects and prepare a report or class presentation based on the new information uncovered.

Here is a list of possible topics for your report:

• Han dynasty ventures to Central Asia
• Ferghana or “celestial” horses
• Horses in Han dynasty tombs
• Comparison between Han and Tang dynasty ceramic horses
• Tang dynasty multi-culturalism as reflected in ceramics
• Horses for entertainment and leisure in the Tang
• Tang dynasty “tri-color” ceramic glazing, cobalt blue
• The depiction of movement and personality in Tang dynasty ceramic horses, camels and figures
• Market value of Tang dynasty horses currently for sale by major auction houses.