Shimu Bronze Gansu Flying Horse Statue Bronze Statue

W15 x D5 x H13 cm bronze piece in perfect condition. Very slight surface scratches to the loose wooden base which is 10 cm x 10 cm. This bronze horse is a replica of one dating from the Chinese Eastern Han dynasty (206BC - 220AD). The original horse was unearthed in 1969 by residents of Wuwei in Gansu province. When digging an air raid shelter due to fear of an imminent war with the Soviet Union, they came across the tomb of a Han dynasty general and discovered over 200 bronzes - figures of men, horses and chariots that were buried with the general. Often referred to as the 'Flying Horse of Gansu' or 'Galloping Horse Treading on a Flying Swallow', the original is now on display in the Gansu Provincial Museum.