Cup with a Warrior on Horseback

This piece was donated by Lee Yang-sun (Kukeun). The trumpet-shaped pedestal is topped by a rectangular plate adorned with a mounted warrior on horseback. Two horn-shaped cups extend from the horse’s back in a symmetrical manner. As is typically the case for mounted vessels from Gaya, the foot is perforated with vertically aligned diamond-shaped darts. In conjunction with the mounted warrior piece excavated from Geumnyeongchong (Gold Bell Tomb) in Gyeongju, this figure provides valuable insight about how the people of Gaya were armed.