Tomb Model of a House
Tomb Model of a House
Place of OriginChina
Dateabout 200 CE
DimensionsL: 8 3/4 in. (22.2 cm); W: 7 1/2 in. (19.1 cm); H: 9 5/8 in. (24.4 cm)
MediumUnglazed earthenware.
ClassificationSculpture
Credit LineGift of the Popplestone Family
Object number
2006.137
Not on View
DescriptionThis is a low-fired, unglazed earthenware model of a building, made from gray clay. It represents a simple, rectangular, gable-roofed house. The only opening is a single, square window on the upper story. The surfaces are encrusted with tan soil from burial.
Label TextDuring China's Han Dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE), tombs were furnished with ceramic models of everything the deceased might need for a comfortable afterlife. This earthenware house, known as a mingqi or "spirit good," would have provided eternal shelter for the soul. Such models are valuable records of everyday architecture, showing common building types that have long since vanished.
20th Dynasty or later (1189–1077 BCE)
Han Dynasty (221-206 BCE)
Zhou Dynasty (1045-222 BCE), 900 BCE
about 700 BCE
mid 19th-late 19th Century
Late 2nd or 1st century BCE
Second half of the 1st century CE
18th Dynasty (1550-1292 BCE)
Membership
Become a TMA member today
Support TMA
Help support the TMA mission