Michigan
Oriental Art Society
Sunday, January 12, 2014
St John Hospital-Oakland Education Center, 27351 Dequindre Rd, Madison Heights
(between 11 Mile and 12 Mile Rds)
Social Time at 1:30 pm, Meeting at 2:00
pm.
Presented
by Russell Yamazaki
Horses are
thought to have been domesticated around 4000 BCE. The importance of the horse to the development
of civilizations can be appreciated through the discoveries of horse bones in
prehistoric villages and royal tombs and representations in artwork starting
with rock art and continuing with paintings, sculpture and prints.
In the time of
the Western Zhou dynasty in China (1045-771 BCE), the number of horse-drawn
chariots was used as a measure of military power and the horse became a
favorite subject of Chinese art. Aristocrats were often painted with their
horses in scenes of hunting or warfare. Horses were an integral part of
military campaigns as the use of cavalry troops conferred a considerable
advantage over the infantry before the advent of modern warfare with cannons
and rifles. In Japan as well, horses played a critical role in warfare and
hunting. Depictions of battles are filled with images of samurai with brightly colored
armor and fantastic helmets wielding their swords and lances atop their horses.
Please bring
your favorite artwork that celebrates the horse for all to enjoy.
