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Water Clock

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.
This water clock originally had a gauge incised with lines marking divisions of time. Probably made of wood or bamboo, the gauge was inserted into the hole in the cover and floated on the water. As the water drained at a constant rate through the tube at the bottom, the gauge sank steadily, allowing the time to be read at each mark. Water clocks were kept in every office throughout the empire. Beginning in Qin times, officials were required to note the date and time of all incoming and outgoing correspondence and to record this information on the documents themselves.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • 西汉 铜漏壶
  • Title: Water Clock
  • Period: Western Han dynasty (206 BCE–9 CE)
  • Culture: China
  • Medium: Bronze
  • Dimensions: Overall H. 20 5/8 in. (52.4 cm); Diam. 8 1/4 in. (20.9 cm)
  • Classification: Metalwork
  • Credit Line: Lent by Shaanxi Provincial Institute of Archaeology
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art