Court Attendant: Eunuch

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 is one of three figures—a male warrior, a eunuch, and a female courtier—which were recovered at the tomb of Emperor Jing (r. 157–141 B.C.). They were meant to provide for the emperor in his afterlife, the warrior offering protection, the eunuch and the courtier attending to his needs. The figures were mass produced, with their heads, torsos, and legs molded separately as pieces and then joined with clay before firing. They originally were painted, a light reddish brown on their faces and body and black on their hair and eyebrows. Remnants of fabric at the point of excavation suggest that they once wore cloth garments.

Artwork Details

Overview

Provenance

Exhibition History

西汉陶宦官俑
Title: Court Attendant: Eunuch
Period: Western Han dynasty (206 BCE–9 CE)
Culture: China
Medium: Earthenware with pigment
Dimensions: H. 22 13/16 in. (58 cm); W. at shoulders 3 9/16 in. (9 cm)
Classification: Tomb Pottery
Credit Line: Lent by Museum of Yangling Mausoleum
Curatorial Department: Asian Art