Artwork Page for Dog

Details / Information for Dog

Dog

狗

25–220 CE

China, Eastern Han dynasty

(25–220 CE)
Medium
earthenware with lead glaze
Measurements
Overall: 36.5 cm (14 3/8 in.)
Credit Line
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 1983.1
Public Domain
You can copy, modify, and distribute this work, all without asking permission. Learn more about CMA's Open Access Initiative.
Location
241B Arts of Ancient China
Print
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Did You Know?

The dog's muzzle, whiskers, and neck scruff were boldly incised into the earthenware form.

Description

Modeled with a lively naturalism and light humor, this dog reflects the worldly tastes of Han China. It differs from the solemn animal images on ritual bronze vessels, which served as the medium for communication with the supernatural realms. The Han people held beliefs in a worldly paradise and an otherworldly realm of eternal life and happiness.
A brownish-tan lead-glazed earthenware sculpture depicts a dog crouching with a long neck extended upward. The dog has large, upright ears and wide-set, circular eyes above an open mouth revealing a small ball. Faint, parallel lines texture the cheeks. The sculpture ends in a short, upturned tail, with the front paws appearing worn and fragmented, contrasting with the smooth sheen of the glazed body.

Dog

25–220 CE

China, Eastern Han dynasty (25–220 CE)

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