Returned to lender The Met accepts temporary loans of art both for short-term exhibitions and for long-term display in its galleries.
Hanging Lamp in the Shape of a Foreigner
Eastern Han dynasty (25–220)
Not on view
Commerce with Asia and the Mediterranean not only brought exotic goods to China but also led to contact with foreign peoples, who became a popular subject in art. This figural lamp has identifiably non-Chinese features: deep eye sockets, a high-ridged nose, and curly hair tied in a topknot. His hollow body served as the fuel chamber, and a small aperture in his chest allowed fuel to flow into the circular tray. Among the numerous lamps excavated in China, this is the only known example to have chains, which points to the influence of the Mediterranean, where hanging lamps were prevalent.
#215. Hanging lamp
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