Ancient Chinese Art
This bronze mask was probably placed on the brow or chest of a horse that pulled chariots during the Shang dynasty. Horses and chariots were buried along with their owner in a tomb, signifying their importance. The tomb owners felt that the chariots and horses would protect them in the afterlife, since chariots were the principle war weapon of the elite class. The Shang dynasty was the first to rule central China during the Bronze Age.
Taotie Mask, Bronze, Late Shang Dynasty (13th-11th century BCE). Asian Art museum of San Francisco