The photos of an ancient ceramic horse excavated in Chengdu's Shuangliu District, southwest China's Sichuan province, has gone viral as its facial appearance resembles the Donkey in the animated film, Shrek, the Chengdu Business Daily reports.

A ceramic horse of ancient China's Han Dynasty about 1800 years ago is under repair recently in Sanxingdui Museum, southwest China's Sichuan province. [Photo: Weibo]

Under repair in Sanxingdui Museum in Sichuan province, the staff joked that the ceramic horse was "poisoned" with its mouth open, tongue out and head tilted on one side. After posted online, the photos of the earthware soon won netizens' hearts as the exaggerated facial expression imitated a likeness with the popular character in Shrek, the Donkey.

The earthware was excavated in 2013 in a tomb of Han Dynasty about 1800 years ago, a total of over 100 items including earthware and bronze vessels were discovered at the site, according to Li Guo, an official with the cultural heritage authority in Chengdu. Li said that the earthware uncovered in the tomb are of great historical value as they indicated the society's aesthetic culture and economic level at that time.

Li added that a cultural heritage exhibition of Shuangliu is scheduled to open soon and the ceramic horse will also be on display after it is repaired.