Tianma (天馬Tiānmǎ, "heavenly horse") was a winged (perhaps metaphorically) flyinghorse inChinese folklore.
The Tianma is aflying horse that was sometimes depicted with chimerical features such as dragon scales and was at times attributed the ability to sweat blood, possibly inspired by the parasiteParafilaria multipapillosa,[1] which infected the highly sought-afterFerghana horse (大宛馬), sometimes conflated with Tianma. Tianma, the flying horse, is clearly connected toPegasus from theWestern Han dynasty artwork[2] and in the Tang dynasty sources, as coming fromHellenized Central Asia.[3]
In theWestern Zhou Empire, Tianma referred to aconstellation.[4] Tianma is also associated withEmperor Wu of Han, an aficionado of the Central Asian horse,[5] and the famous poetLi Bo.[6] The bronze statueGansu Flying Horse is a well-known example.
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