Celebrate the Year of the Horse at The Met Store

Running in 12-year cycles, each year of the traditional East Asian lunar calendar corresponds to one of the 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac. On February 17, 2026, we welcome the Year of the Horse—said to bring about a period of prosperity—with equine designs from The Met Store.

The noble steed is one of the most frequently depicted motifs in art history. In Chinese art specifically, horses have long served as symbols of strength, power, and wealth.

Following their domestication in prehistoric times, horses were paramount to the development and expansion of Chinese society. They were essential in warfare as far back as the Shang and Zhou dynasties (ca. 1600–256 BCE), and by the 4th century BCE, increasing encounters with nomadic horsemen led to the adoption of mounted cavalry in battles between rival states. Ultimately, these battles on horseback culminated in the establishment of a unified Chinese empire under the Qin dynasty (221–206 BCE). 

Come the Han dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE), horses played a significant role in the transportation of goods, art forms, and ideas along the expanding network of trade routes known as the Silk Road, which vitally connected the ancient eastern and western worlds.

Below, shop jewelry, decor, and collaborations honoring various horses housed at the Museum.

Han Horse Necklace

Introduced in celebration of the Lunar New Year, this timeless sterling silver pendant necklace pays tribute to a noble Han dynasty–era bronze horse in The Met collection.

Horses—particularly the so-called Bactrian horses from western Asia—captured the imaginations of the Han-dynasty emperor and his court, who referred to these captivating creatures as “heavenly horses.” 

"Heavenly horses" were associated with the magic and majesty of dragons, and were believed to transport the souls of the dead to the next world.

Junzi Year of the Horse Celebration Chili Oil Gift Set

By the Tang dynasty (618–907), horses were highly regarded as emblems of imperial power. Their portraits were painted by leading court artists and modeled as brightly glazed figurines that adorned emperors' tombs as symbols of dynastic vitality. Two examples of these tomb sculptures in The Met collection—a horse and female rider from the late 7th–first half of the 8th century and an early 8th-century horse and rider—feature on this year’s chili oil gift set, presented as part of The Met’s ongoing collaboration with Junzi. 

This limited-edition set includes one jar of Junzi’s original chili oil—a spicy, handcrafted mix of single origin Tianjin chilis and cayenne pepper, balanced with a splash of Zhejiang vinegar and a touch of brown sugar—as well as an exclusive blend inspired by sancai, the famed tricolor ceramics of the Tang dynasty.

An homage to the green, white, and amber hues of sancai wares, the Sancai Chili Oil is infused with specially chosen ingredients: floral Sichuan green peppercorn, bright white pepper, and aged premium Ping An Chen tangerine peel. Sourced from one of the oldest traditional Chinese medicine pharmacies in Hong Kong, the amber-colored tangerine peel brings rich, citrusy depth to this aromatic blend.

Giambologna Medici Walking Horse Sculpture

Horses abound in The Met collection beyond the Museum’s holdings of Chinese art. On view in the European Sculpture and Decorative Arts galleries is a trotting horse (probably 1587–91) traced to the workshop of the Flemish sculptor Giambologna (Netherlandish, 1529–1608). The artist’s dedication to creating and meeting the market demand for his small equestrian bronzes is well documented. 

This stately sculpture reproduction, produced in cooperation with the Princely Collections of Liechtenstein, is based on a similar model by Giambologna that was probably cast in the workshop of sculptor Giovanni Francesco Susini (Italian, ca. 1575–1653). 

Laurence King Animals Out of Art: An Art Lover's Matching Game

An art-inspired card game from The Met x Laurence King, Animals Out of Art challenges players to round up the missing animals from 25 works in the Museum's holdings. 

An accompanying booklet details the history and symbolism of animals in art, from cats and dogs to birds and horses—including the speckled steed in Théodore Géricault's (French, 1791–1824) Horsewoman (1820) in The Met collection.

Kick off the new year with Met-inspired designs available online and in-store at The Met Fifth Avenue.