Tomb Tile, 1st-2nd century
Unknown artist, Chinaexpand_more
Earthenware with impressed decorexpand_more
Gift of funds from Mr. and Mrs. James Milesexpand_more 83.29
On View in Gallery 215expand_more
Tombs of Han nobility were often decorated with ceramic tiles bearing painted or impressed designs like this one, which
probably served as a door lintel. This example was excavated during the 1940s from a site north of Luoyang, the capital of Eastern
Han. The hunting scene in the upper central band, accompanied by a dragon frieze below, represents an early attempt by the Chinese to create a pictorial landscape. It also vividly illustrates the early idea of the sacred mountain being that of a dangerous and prohibitive space where heavenly and earthly spirits intermingled with ferocious animals and monsters. Through this mountain realm, which functioned cosmologically as an intermediary domain between heaven and earth, man communicated with heaven. Man also, at the time of death, ascended to heaven, often with the aid of shamans through this intermediary realm.
The hunter shooting backwards (the so-called "Parthian shot") is a motif imported from the West. The geometric borders are actually textile patterns used in fabrics that were part of the silk trade then underway between China and the Roman Empire.
Details
- Title
- Tomb Tile
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- 83.29
- Curator Approved
This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.
Does something look wrong with this image? Let us know
Zoom in on the left to the detail you'd like to save. Click 'Save detail' and wait until the image updates. Right click the image to 'save image as' or copy link, or click the image to open in a new tab.