The Taerpo horserider is Chinese Zhou dynasty period Warrior-State Qin terracotta figurine from a tomb in the Taerpo cemetery (塔兒坡墓) near Xianyang in Shaanxi Province, dated to the 4th-3rd century BCE. Another nearly-identical statuette is known, from the same tomb. Small holes in his hands suggest that he was originally holding reins in one hand, and a weapon in the other.
This is the earliest known representation of a cavalryman in China. Only very few such human and animal figurines are known from this time, before the creative explosion of the terracotta army in 210 BCE, which must have appeared dramatically new to contemporaries.
The outfit is of Central Asian style, probably Scythian, and the rider with his high-pointed nose appears to be a foreigner. King Zheng of Qin (246–221 BCE) is also known to have employed steppe cavalry men in his army, as seen in his terracotta army.
For the colors, only red and white are used, as most terracotta statuettes kown from the Qin state period. According to Duan Qingbo, there is a possibility that these miniature human and horse shapes were inspired by the Art of the steppes, as seen in objects such as the figurines of the Saka incense burners.
The Taerpo horserider is an important work of art in several respects:
It shows the state of Chinese depictions of human and animal figures before the advent of the ultra-realistic terracotta army in 210 BCE. Before the Terracotta Army, very few sculptures had ever been created, and none were naturalistic. Among the very few such depictions known in China before that date: four wooden figurines from Liangdaicun (梁帶村) in Hancheng (韓城), Shaanxi, possibly dating to the 9th century BCE; two wooden human figurines of foreigners possibly representing sedan chair bearers from a Qin state tomb in Longxian (隴縣), Shaanxi, from about 700 BCE; and more numerous statuettes from around 5th century bronze musicians in a miniature house from Shaoxing (紹興) in Zhejiang; a 4th-century human-shaped lamp stand from Pingshan (平山) county royal tomb, Hebei. It confirms that cavalry was already relatively present in China even before the Qin dynasty. It is thought that the Chinese learnt horseriding from their northern nomadic neighbours from the late 4th century BCE, in the Zhao state. It suggests that Central Asian, probably Scythian-style clothing and equipement was used in early Chinese cavalry. King Zheng of Qin (246–221 BCE) is known to have employed steppe cavalry men in his army, as seen in his terracotta army.
Following soon after the Taerpo horserider, the Terracotta Army of the first Qin dynasty Emperor Qin Shihuang (210 BCE) would offer a profusion of realistic-looking, highly sophisticated statuary, although rather stern and militaristic in style. Less than a century later, the Yangjiawan terracotta army would then be much smaller in size, but also much less militaristic, much softer and elegant: "Horse tails curl in fanciful fashion and human figures possess a doll-like innocence".