A Tang dynasty female hunting figurine with a lynx, excavated from the tomb of the Princess of Jinxiang in Xin…
A Tang dynasty female hunting figurine with a lynx, excavated from the tomb of the Princess of Jinxiang in Xinzhu Township, Baqiao District, Xi'an, and now housed in the Xi'an Museum.
The female rider turns slightly to the right, her gaze fixed ahead to the right. Her right hand is clenched, while her left extends forward as if controlling the reins, her expression tense and focused. Behind her sits a lynx, ears pricked and eyes wide, with its forelegs straight and hind legs tucked beneath it, alert and ready. In antiquity, the lynx was a common small hunting beast. Its presence here suggests that Tang women of the elite not only rode horses and traveled freely with their hair dressed high, but also took part in vigorous mounted hunts.