Seal of a Surrendered Qiang Chieftain
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.The nomadic Qiang people traditionally lived along China’s western and northwestern frontiers. By the Eastern Han, many had resettled in the interior, and the Han government subsumed them into their populace, requiring them to pay taxes and to render service as laborers or soldiers. In return, their surrendered chieftain received titles and a seal such as this one. In typical Eastern Han calligraphic style, the characters feature elongated shapes and broad, square strokes. The knob is in the shape of a ram, which was standard for officials of non-Chinese background, in contrast to the turtle-shaped knobs for their Chinese counterparts.
Artwork Details
- 东汉 青铜 “汉归义羌长” 驼钮印
- Title: Seal of a Surrendered Qiang Chieftain
- Period: Eastern Han dynasty (25–220)
- Culture: China
- Medium: Bronze
- Dimensions: H. 1 3/8 in. (3.5 cm): W. 7/8 in. (2.3 cm)
- Classification: Seals
- Credit Line: Lent by National Museum of China
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art