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Bear

Western Han dynasty (206 BCE–9 CE)
Not on view
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.
Bears are native to China, their presence there known since antiquity. They were kept in Han imperial zoos and parks, where the emperor and his entourage enjoyed watching them in performance or in combat with other animals. Bears appear in Han art in media ranging from metalwork and lacquer to pottery and, as here, jade. Among the earliest examples, dating from the early Western Han, is a hollow brick excavated from the palace of the king of Nanyue. It resembles images of bears on horse ornaments of the nomads, suggesting a possible influence from the Eurasian steppes.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • 西汉 玉熊
  • Title: Bear
  • Period: Western Han dynasty (206 BCE–9 CE)
  • Culture: China
  • Medium: Jade (nephrite)
  • Dimensions: H. 2 5/8 in. (6.6 cm); W. 3 1/4 in. (8.3 cm); L. 8 in. (20.3 cm)
  • Classification: Jade
  • Credit Line: Lent by Xuzhou City Museum
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art