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Lamp in the shape of a recumbent tiger

2nd century BCE
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 imposing bronze lamp illustrates a critical moment in the history of Chinese art, when the depiction of animals and figures evolved from stylized two-dimensional decorative motifs to naturalistic sculptures in the round. Not art for art’s sake, such sculptural images retained a functional purpose. When the hinged back of this powerful tiger is opened, it becomes an oil lamp with a place for a wick to connect to the reservoir in the tiger’s body.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • 西漢　臥虎青銅燈
  • Title: Lamp in the shape of a recumbent tiger
  • Period: Western Han dynasty (206 BCE–9 CE)
  • Date: 2nd century BCE
  • Culture: China
  • Medium: Bronze
  • Dimensions: 4 3/4 in. × 3 1/4 in. × 7 in. (12.1 × 8.3 × 17.8 cm)
  • Classification: Metalwork
  • Credit Line: Lent by a private collection
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art
Lamp in the shape of a recumbent tiger - China - Western Han dynasty (206 BCE–9 CE) - The Metropolitan Museum of Art