About this objectThese two earthenware objects are vessels—they are hollow and have spouts coming out from the horses' chests. They were excavated in 1924 from a Silla tomb in Gyeongju, Geumnyeongchong. They show clearly the horse tack of the time, including the mudguard below the saddle as found in Cheonma tomb [EXH116]. Like several other tombs here, the deceased—possibly a child—was probably a member of the royal family as suggested by the opulent burial goods: a gold crown, gold earrings, a gold belt, and a sword at the waist.
It is hypothesized that the horses represent a master and servant, the latter leading the former into the afterlife, with a bell to guide him.
