Tapestries, paintings, illustrations, and other forms of art portray the role of horses throughout the Medieval Ages. The horse was indispensable in both wealthy and peasant lives. And because the time period was bound with conflict and war, horses were a vital military weapon. Early battle chargers were steadfast, large and powerful, but as time went on, interest turned to nimble sprinters for the cavalry.
“The triumph of Christianity after the fall of Rome and the chaos that followed gave rise to the ideal of a horseman who combined the tasks of being a soldier with piety, gallantry and courtesy.” This mid-thirteenth century German aquamanile (a vase used to store water to wash hands with) to the right is in the form of a knight on horseback. Many other artworks portray the chivalrous heroes of the time; the knights of the Middle Ages.
This is a excerpt from the 70 meter long Bayeux Tapestry, kept in the Bayeux Tapestry Museum. The work records the 1066 Battle of Hastings, but when the actual tapestry was created is unknown.
Illustrations from the Life of Absalom, about 1250 A.D.
West European ivory chess piece, about 1350–60 A.D.