Companions on Horseback

Mongol women in the Yuan imperial clan also rode horses and joined in hunts. In "Kublai Khan Hunting," the woman next to Kublai is also shown on horseback and taking part in the hunt, keeping pace with the emperor to form the visual center of attention in this painting. Accompanying them are several court attendants who clearly do not look like native Chinese. With their darker skin and exaggerated facial features, they are also obviously not Mongols, indicating that they come from other parts of the empire.

In addition, this painting of a hunting scene does not just depict a single event, but it was also probably intended to express on a deeper level how Kublai Khan viewed himself and those who served him. His associates are shown as coming from various ethnic groups and wearing different kinds of clothing, sympolizing the cultural and linguistic pluralism of the Yuan court that the Mongols were evidently quite proud of.