Tile
Unknown Artist
Medium
Earthenware
Dimensions
H. 2 1/2 in. (6.4 cm); W. 12 1/4 in. (31.1 cm); D. 5 1/2 in. (14 cm)
Classification
Ceramics
Culture & Period
China · Qin–Han dynasty (221 B.C.–A.D. 220)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1910
Accession Number
10.202.12
Art Historical Context
This earthenware tile, hailing from China's Qin-Han dynasty (221 B.CA.D. 220), offers a glimpse into one of the most transformative eras in Chinese history. The Qin dynasty unified the warring states into a vast empire under Emperor Qin Shi Huang, famed for the Terracotta Army while the Han period brought cultural flourishing, Silk Road trade, and advancements in art and technology. Such tiles were likely used in architecture or tombs, reflecting the era's emphasis on imperial grandeur and the afterlife. Crafted from earthenware—a low-fired clay common before porcelain's invention—this rectan...