Ferghana horse

For other uses, see Ferghana (disambiguation).
"Heavenly horse" redirects here. For the flying horse in Chinese mythology, see Tianma.
The Gansu Flying Horse, East Han, Bronze, Gansu Provincial Museum

Ferghana horses (Chinese: 大宛馬 / 宛馬; pinyin: dàyuānmǎ / yuānmǎ; Wade–Giles: ta-yüan-ma / yüan-ma) were one of China's earliest major imports, originating in an area in Central Asia. These horses, as depicted in Tang dynasty tomb figures in earthenware, may "resemble the animals on the golden medal of Eucratides, King of Bactria (Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris)."[1]

Two sancai-glazed Tang dynasty tomb figures, early 8th century, Prague National Gallery

The Ferghana horse is also known as the "heavenly horse" in China or the Nisean horse in the West.[2][3]

  1. ^ See p. 39 of Lida L. Fleitmann's, The Horse in Art, William Farquhar Payson (publishing company), New York, 1931.
  2. ^ Royal Asiatic Society, p. 36
  3. ^ "Nisaean Horse". chinesehoroscop.