The Sutradhar zebras of equine woodwork are solid evidence of the tribe's craftsmanship and their symbolic connation of animals in traditional Indian folk culture. The horse itself is carved out of one wood plank and is shown to be standing on a rectangular pedestal, which lends its grandeur to the sculpture. The horse body is painted black, representing power, protection, and resistance, in keeping with many tribal and folk traditions. Then the surface is decorated with very intricate patterns in yellow, red, and white, which each have cultural implications of their own. Yellow stands for divineness and spirituality; red entails energy and auspiciousness; whereas white is purity and peace. The strong contrast with bright colors becomes food for visual sustenance and hints at a far deeper allegorical tale-the horse as a symbol of strength, nobility, and spiritual endurance.

The Sutradhar tribe, based primarily in West Bengal, are traditional wood carvers, known to make mythological figures, ritual icons, and faces of folk art. Their name-Sutradhar-means-storyteller or narrator, conveying their role as guardians and carriers of the culture through woodwork. The tribal belief attributes a sacred significance to the horse: they hold that the horse symbolizes motion, valor, and the soul's journey; thus, the effigy is an object both of art and spirit. These carvings are usually invoked in ritual practices, local festivals, or at times offered as votive offerings-as an evidence of intertwinement of art and spirit that has been historically adhered to by the tribe.