Granary (Cang)
Eastern Han dynasty (A.D. 25–220)
Medium
Brick-red earthenware with green lead glaze, carved and molded decoration
Dimensions
39.5 × 24 × 21.5 cm (15 9/16 × 9 7/16 × 8 7/16 in.)
Classification
earthenware
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
12065
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
As burial practices filtered down from the Han aristocracy to officials and landowners, tomb models related to farming, an honored occupation, became increasingly popular. The granary, used to store millet, barley, and wheat, was depicted either as a jar or as a small building. The two-story granary found in southern Chinese tombs of the Western Han dynasty (206 B.C.-A.D. 9) was a wood or ceramic model elevated on stilts. By the Eastern Han dynasty, this rectangular structure had spread to north...
About the Artist
Unknown
The artist designated as "Unknown" in our virtual museum's collection exemplifies a poignant chapter in art history: creators whose identities have faded into obscurity despite the enduring power of their work. With only one known artwork attributed to them in our holdings, this figure represents countless anonymous hands that shaped visual culture across centuries. Museums worldwide, including th...