Cheolma — The Cast-Iron Horse

An iron horse of the kind enshrined at village shrines to pray for a community's peace. Horses were held to carry the gods to and fro, and small cast-iron horses stood guard on altars.

The mottled surface grown over long years of rust is precisely this horse's dignity — and the fact that its age cannot be measured suits an object of folk belief.

Related Objects in Museum Collections

A few related objects found on Korea’s e-Museum by searching for “철마”. Comparing their forms is a quiet pleasure.