Removing the saddle, inspecting the arrows 解鞍調箭圖

Traditionally attributed to Zhang Kan (傳)張戡 (active mid-10th century) · 12th century

This finely executed painting shows a grizzled cavalry warrior who has removed his armor and rests while he inspects his arrows. Glad to be rid of its saddle, his horse rolls on the ground, happily kicking its legs in the air. The horse has an incision in its ear, a practice followed by the Khitans. These seminomadic people lived on the northeastern border regions of the Northern Song (960-1127) empire in the general area of modern Manchuria, where they established their own Liao dynasty (907-1125).