Earthenware Horn Cup in the Shape of a Warrior on Horseback

A pottery figure of a man on horseback, 23.2 cm high, 14.7 cm wide and 9.2 cm across the base, thought to date from the Three Kingdoms period. A flat rectangular plate is set on a trumpet-shaped stand, and a mounted warrior on it. The stand is the same form as a Gaya stem cup, pierced with two rows of openings. At the four corners of the plate are the horse's legs, modelled by hand and pared. The horse's armour is rendered very realistically, and the mane is trimmed straight. On its back sits a warrior in armour holding weapons: he wears a helmet and holds a spear in his right hand and a shield in his left, their surfaces filled with pattern. The shield is especially notable, since no actual example has survived. A pair of horn-shaped cups stands at the warrior's back. The figure is regarded as a precious source for the study of Gaya horse gear and weapons.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Gyeongju, Gyeongbuk

Designation

National Treasure · 국보