Relief with Dragon from a Funerary Stove Model
Unknown Artist
202 BCE–220 CE
Medium
earthenware with relief decoration
Dimensions
10 × 27.7 × 1.4 cm
Classification
Ceramic
Department
Chinese Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Charles W. Harkness Endowment Fund
Accession Number
1925.138
About this artwork
Han dynasty tombs were often furnished with grave goods to provide the deceased with items for the afterlife. This panel with a dragon was part of a miniature pottery stove to be placed in a burial chamber. The dragon is an auspicious creature and an animal of the cardinal directions that protects the east.