Today, the Year of the Horse has officially begun! The Lunar New Year follows the Chinese zodiac, a 12-year cycle in which each year is represented by a different animal. These animals were chosen because they were familiar in daily life and became a way to mark time, express values, and share stories about character and destiny. Each zodiac animal carries symbolic traits, offering a lens for reflection, renewal, and hope as a new year begins.

The horse stands out as one of the most dynamic symbols in Chinese culture. Long associated with strength, success, and forward motion, the horse represents the energy of progress and the promise of new beginnings. Across centuries, artists returned to this form to express freedom, vitality, and hope for what lies ahead.

Here are just some of the Chinese works from our collection that feature—you guessed it—horses. And don’t forget, next time you’re at LACMA, you can check out artist Ai Weiwei’s Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads, a monumental version of all 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac.

Plaque (Three Horses), Western Inner Mongolia or Northern China, 5th–4th century B.C., Los Angeles County Museum of Art, The Nasli M. Heeramaneck Collection of Ancient Near Eastern and Central Asian Art, gift of The Ahmanson Foundation, photo © Museum Associates/LACMA

Horse, China, early Western Han dynasty, 206–100 B.C., Los Angeles County Museum of Art, gift of Richard Brustlin, photo © Museum Associates/LACMA

Ornament with Two Horses, Han, China, 206 B.C.–220 A.D., Los Angeles County Museum of Art, gift of Carl Holmes, photo © Museum Associates/LACMA

Finial (Dingshi) with Two Horses, Han, China, 206 B.C.–220 A.D., Los Angeles County Museum of Art, gift of Carl Holmes, photo © Museum Associates/LACMA

Funerary Sculpture of a Horse, China, Eastern Han dynasty, 25–220, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, gift of Diane and Harold Keith and Jeffrey Lowden, photo © Museum Associates/LACMA

Horse Head, China, Tang Dynasty, 618–906, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, The Phil Berg Collection, photo © Museum Associates/LACMA

Funerary Sculpture of a Horse and Rider, China, Tang dynasty, 618–906, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, gift of Nasli M. Heeramaneck, photo © Museum Associates/LACMA

Funerary Sculpture of a Horse, China, Middle Tang dynasty, about 700–800, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, gift of Hedwig Worch, photo © Museum Associates/LACMA

Funerary Sculpture of a Horse, China, Middle Tang dynasty, about 700–800, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, gift of Nasli M. Heeramaneck, photo © Museum Associates/LACMA

Buckle in the Form of a Monkey on a Horse, late Qing dynasty, about 1800–1911, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, gift of Patricia G. Cohan, photo © Museum Associates/LACMA

Two Horses, China, 20th century, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, gift of Drs. Larry and Aileen Koehler, photo © Museum Associates/LACMA