A warrior armed with bow and arrows stands before his mount. The critic Kuo Jo-hsü (fl. 11th century) in his Record of Observances in the Realm of Painting once said of Li Tsan-hua that "he mostly depicts nobles and chieftains in the attire and appointments of the people of the North. In most respects his works are exquisite, but his horses tend to be paunchy and his brushwork lacks strength." The latter comment points to the post-T'ang tendency toward a refined, delicate style.Li Tsan-hua, a Khitan, was the eldest son of the founder of the Liao dynasty (907-959). Originally named T'u-yü, he fled south to China in 931 and was given the name Li Tsan-hua by the emperor Ming-tsung (r. 925-933) of the Later T'ang. Li excelled at depicting the people and horses of his native land.