Reclining Ram, Han 漢 Dynasty

3D Model

Reclining Ram Han 漢 Dynasty 206 BCE-220CE Earthenware with red and black pigment Gift of Roy Arthur (Terence) Hunt LUS 01 1038

This reclining figure represents a ram, one of the twelve animals of the zodiac associated with luck and wisdom. It was likely buried in a tomb as part of Chinese funerary practices. It is incredibly common, particularly during the Han Dynasty, for the deceased to be buried with objects, pottery, food, or tools to take into the next life. These items would remind the dead of the living world in the afterlife. As such, it became commonplace to include objects of particular cultural or personal importance in burial. A renewed desire for decorative burial objects during the Han Dynasty led to the addition of pigments to the body of pieces post-firing. The black and red pigments—derived from carbon and iron oxides (Fe2O3), respectively—decorate the body of the reclining ram, reflecting the desire to diversify the range of colors in pottery.