Model of a Wellhead with Roosters
Han dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE), 100 BCE–100 CE
Medium
Gray earthenware with molded, incised, and stamped decoration
Dimensions
38 × 45.5 × 25.2 cm (14 15/16 × 17 15/16 × 9 15/16 in.)
Classification
earthenware
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
21868
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
These jaunty roosters once sat atop a model well in Han-dynasty China. They are perched on the roof, which covered a pulley for raising and lowering buckets. Both the wellhead and the pigsty in the adjacent case resemble objects excavated from a tomb in Huixian, a city in northern China, and they may have come from the same workshop.
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...