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China

Mask from a Horse Bridle

Western Zhou dynasty ( 1046–771 BC ), about 9th century BC
Bronze
27.5 × 0.3 cm (10.8 × 0.1 in)

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● On view now — Gallery 131

Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago · verified July 2026

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FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG

This sheet of hammered bronze was attached to cloth or leather as part of an elaborate bridle. The mask was placed on the horse's forehead, between the ears. Similar plaques have been excavated from the trappings of horses and chariots that were buried in trenches adjacent to aristocratic tombs in present-day Xi'an, the site of the Western Zhou capital.

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