China, Han Dynasty, ca. 206 BCE to 220 CE. A large and impressive ancient mold-made pottery model of a house, amazingly intact. This is an archictecturally correct model of the home of a wealthy person in the Han Dynasty. A large balcony runs the full width of the house, with whimsical bears acting as the supports for the . A large balcony runs the full width of the house, with three square windows above it; the house stands on supports, which here are whimsical bears on its front-facing legs. I hope that those are based on a real house's features! The roof is sloping, meeting at a high ridge, with a series of bosses marking gutters. Overall, the piece is glazed a pretty and iridescent light green. Size: 8.5" L x 18.25" W x 21" H (21.6 cm x 46.4 cm x 53.3 cm)

This piece was made to be placed into a tomb as a representation of a real house. The Han Dynasty was a period of wealth and stability for China, and the elaborate decoration of their burial places reflected this prosperity. There was an entire industry dedicated to the creation of these tomb pottery items and wealthy Han elites could have hundreds or even thousands of them buried in their tombs.

Provenance: Present owner purchased from an old English collection in the 1980s.

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#118545

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