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Ornament with Two Dancers

Western Han dynasty (206 BCE–9 CE)

Not on view

This ornament depicts two figures dancing atop a sinuous snake. Often interpreted as a sacred animal in the Dian culture, the snake is a common motif in the arts of the Yunnan region, where this object was discovered. The snake also functions as a design device to organically connect the figures and stabilize the composition.

Ornament with Two Dancers, Gilt bronze, China — This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

西汉青铜鎏金双人盘舞饰件

Title: Ornament with Two Dancers

Period: Western Han dynasty (206 BCE–9 CE)

Culture: China

Medium: Gilt bronze

Dimensions: H. 4 3/4 in. (12 cm); W. 7 5/16 in. (18.5 cm)

Classification: Metalwork

Credit Line: Lent by Yunnan Provincial Museum

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Asian Art at The Met

The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world.