Model of a Bell-Shaped Lamp Stand
Unknown Artist
1st–2nd century
Medium
Earthenware with green lead glaze
Dimensions
H. 12 1/8 in. (30.8 cm)
Classification
Tomb Pottery
Culture & Period
China · Eastern Han dynasty (25–220)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Charlotte C. and John C. Weber Collection, Gift of Charlotte C. and John C. Weber, 1994
Accession Number
1994.605.28
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite model of a bell-shaped stand, crafted in earthenware with a vibrant green lead glaze, to China's Eastern Han dynasty (25220 CE). Standing at12⅛ inches (30.8 cm) tall, it belongs to the tradition of tomb pottery—miniature replicas of household goods and luxuries placed in burials to serve the deceased in the afterlife. Such models reflect the Han belief in immortality and the soul's continued needs, transforming graves into symbolic homes equipped for eternity. Adorned with lively motifs of human figures, birds, and carriages, the lamp stand captures the dynamism of daily life, ...