Join us for a free public tour of “Year of the Horse: Hoofbeats through Time” and gain deeper insight into the pieces in the exhibition. Meet in front of the exhibition’s entrance at Gallery 332. Tours are free and last one hour.
“Year of the Horse: Hoofbeats through Time” celebrates the enduring power, beauty, and symbolism of horses in Chinese art and culture. Across millennia, the horse has galloped through China’s imagination—as chariot puller, zodiac sign, loyal companion, and poetic metaphor.
This exhibition explores the horse as both a real creature and a cultural emblem—embodying strength, status, virtue, and aspiration. From ritual bronzes to scholar’s miniatures, imperial scrolls to popular expressions, the horse reveals a rich interplay of mythology, mobility, and meaning. As we welcome a new Year of the Horse, these timeless images invite reflection on what it means to move, strive, and endure.