Hong Kong Palace Museum | Grand Gallop: Art and Culture of the Horse

On the fifth day in the eleventh month of 1758, to celebrate the surrender of eastern Kazakhstan, the Qianlong Emperor of the Qing dynasty held a grand inspection ceremony of the Eight Banners army at the Southern Hunting Park in Beijing. After the military drill, Qianlong mounted his horse to demonstrate his archery skills. All the seven arrows he shot were on target! This portrait conveys the glory of the emperor in his ceremonial armour astride a magnificent white horse.

This clock features a horse with a saddle pad decorated with images of colourful birds. Leading the horse is a figure wearing a head wrap with a crescent moon and an ornate sherwani (long coat). He holds a golden arrow, which recalls the story of Guru Gobind Singh (1666-1708), who shot gold-tipped arrows so that the victims’ families could sell them for medicine or restitution.

Seen in this handscroll is an autumnal hunting scene with the Qianlong Emperor and an imperial woman on the grounds of the Mulan hunting preserve (in modern-day Hebei province), known for its thick forests and plentiful game. Surrounded by red foliage and contrasting blue-green terrain, the gallant horsewoman hands the emperor a fresh arrow to replace one shot at the deer.