Year of the Horse: Hoofbeats through Time –– Minneapolis Institute of Art
Chinese bronze sculpture of a horse
China, Eastern Han dynasty (25–220 CE), Celestial Horse (detail), bronze with traces of polychrome, gift of Ruth and Bruce Dayton, 2002.45

Year of the Horse: Hoofbeats through Time

Year of the Horse: Hoofbeats through Time

February 17, 2026 - August 30, 2026
Bell Family Decorative Arts Court (333)
Free Exhibition

“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.

China, Eastern Han dynasty (25–220 CE), Celestial Horse (detail), bronze with traces of polychrome, gift of Ruth and Bruce Dayton, 2002.45