Dog
Unknown Artist
25–220 CE
Medium
earthenware with lead glaze
Dimensions
h. 36.5 cm
Classification
Sculpture
Department
Chinese Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund
Accession Number
1983.1
About this artwork
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.