During the period of 1969 and 10, a tomb in the late Eastern Han Dynasty was discovered in Leitai, Wuwei, Gansu Province, and more than 220 pieces of bronze figures, bronze chariots and horses, bronze bulls, pottery and other cultural relics were unearthed, among which 39 bronze horses with different expressions were lifelike. One of the 39 bronze horses is a bronze galloping horse. It weighs 7. 15 kg, is 34.5 cm high, 45 cm long and 13 cm wide. The tassel on the top of the horse's head is slightly raised, the tail is raised high, the tail is knotted, three feet fly up, and a swallow is stepped on the right hind foot, spreading its wings and looking back in surprise. 1986, even designated as the city logo of Wuwei, which is now commonly known as "flying on a horse". This sculpture is a classic of artists in the Eastern Han Dynasty, a rare treasure of ancient Chinese sculpture art, representing the highest artistic achievement in the Eastern Han Dynasty in the history of Chinese sculpture, and has been incorporated into Chinese textbooks for middle schools.

But does this horse really run as we guessed? Is it possible that it is just too lazy to go out, so it steps on the swallow, just like modern people step on the balance car when they go out? First, let's look at modern horse racing. On the field, you will find that when a horse walks, its four legs will be divided into left and right groups, with two ipsilateral legs forward and the other ipsilateral leg backward. What if, when the horse is running? When a horse rushes, the trajectory of its legs is different from that of walking. Both hind legs must land at the same time, so that the body can rebound from the ground and speed up the travel. Quadrupeds basically run faster like this. For example: cheetah.

It can be inferred that the horse in this national treasure sculpture can only be said to be a "trot" at best. The real situation of "swallow riding on a horse" is probably just an accident in which an unlucky swallow was trampled to death by an elegant horse. On the other hand, sculpture comes from life, and sculpture is higher than life. It is naturally incorrect to judge this sculpture only from whether this "flying swallow on horseback" truly reflects the scene of a fast horse flying. Its excavation not only shows an image cultural relic, but also shows the prosperity of China in the Han Dynasty. China's superb foundry industry has been able to cast exquisite works of art in ancient times. ..

With the progress of society, more and more materials are used in sculpture. In modern society, if the materials used are used to distinguish the types of sculptures, there are five categories: clay sculpture, pottery sculpture, wood carving, stone carving and metal sculpture. If the shape of sculpture is used to distinguish the types of sculpture, there are three kinds: round sculpture, through sculpture and relief. From prehistoric times to modern times, from the east to the west, the shape, technique and profound meaning of sculpture are constantly improving and changing. It affects people's vision, touch, hearing, thoughts and feelings with its shape, volume and material. This is the most fundamental feature that distinguishes sculpture from painting. To understand sculpture is to understand human beings themselves.

Source: [1] Li Chonghan. The Mystery of Mata Yan Fei Shunguama's Life [J]. Ethnic and Cultural History, 2014,03: 57-59.