Artwork Page for The Hunt

Details / Information for The Hunt

The Hunt

300–100 BCE

China, Warring States period (475–221 BCE) to Western Han dynasty

(206 BCE–8 CE)
Medium
Painted clamshell
Measurements
Overall: 7.5 x 9 cm (2 15/16 x 3 9/16 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of Homer H. Tielke Jr., in honor of the fortieth wedding anniversary of Mr. and Mrs. Homer H. Tielke Sr. 1957.141
Public Domain
You can copy, modify, and distribute this work, all without asking permission. Learn more about CMA's Open Access Initiative.
Location
241A Arts of Ancient China
Print
?

Did You Know?

A four-horse chariot and a two-horse chariot are both depicted in this hunting scene.

Description

The inside of this shell preserves the earliest, extant figure paintings in Chinese history.
A painted clamshell, a basin with a curved interior, depicts hunting scenes in muted red and dark brown pigments. At the center, two horse-drawn chariots move toward our right. Smaller figures of leaping dogs and running deer are scattered around them, including two deer along the upper edge. The paint is worn and fragmented, revealing the smooth, pale surface of the shell beneath the faded figures.

The Hunt

300–100 BCE

China, Warring States period (475–221 BCE) to Western Han dynasty (206 BCE–8 CE)

See Also

Visually Similar by AI

Contact Us

The information about this object, including provenance, may not be currently accurate. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please fill out the appropriate request form linked below:

Update or Correct Artwork Information

Imagery or Rights for Non-Open-Access Artworks

Report a Website Issue

Further Questions About This Artwork