In Chinese culture the horse is the most highly prized of all domesticated animals, followed by the cow, sheep, chicken, dog, and pig. Horses have been significant in the lives of humans since ancient times. For thousands of years horses have been the subjects of poetry, painting, handicrafts, and other art forms, many of which are as appealing and inspiring to us as they were to our ancestors.

2014 is the year of the Horse, according to the Chinese zodiac. The Art Museum and the Department of Chinese Language and Literature jointly present the exhibition "Notable Horses in Chinese Culture: Celebrating the Year of the Horse". This special exhibition includes artefacts from the time of the Han dynasty to present-day China, vividly illustrates the many representations of horses in Chinese art and literature. Selected highlights are as follows:
 

	Painted pottery horse with rider Han (206BCE-220CE) Collection of Art Museum, Gift of Friends of the Art Museum
	Grey pottery horse Eastern Han, 2nd century Collection of Art Museum, Gift of Dr. T. T. Tsui
	Bronze horse head Eastern Han, 2nd century Cheng Xun Tang Collection
	Saddled horse with three-colour glaze Tang, First half, 8th century Mr. Frank K. L. Wu Collection
	Snuff bottle painted in famille-rose enamels with Mu Wang's eight horses Qing, Daoguang (1821-1850) Huaihaitang Collection
	Anonymous One hundred horses Qing, 19th century Collection of Art Museum, Gift of Peter Chow