Stone Horse

422 AD
Beilin Museum, Xi'an

This horse was carved during the "Great Xia," an ephemeral Xiongnu kingdom in Shaanxi province that was one of the eponymous Sixteen Kingdoms of that time. The vigorous character of the Xiongnu is reflected in the statue's simplicity and strength.

The Xiongnu have long been theorized to be related somehow to the Huns, but many different opinions have been offered, and as of 2007 the question is still not settled.