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Cowry Container with Scene of Sacrifice
Western Han dynasty (206 BCE–9 CE)
Not on view
Thirty-five sculpted figures create a dense composition on this container’s cover. Escorted by two mounted horsemen and flanked by servants, a gilded female sits on a palanquin. The gilding may indicate a higher status. One kneeling female, possibly a servant, holds a parasol, while another female and two males wield a shovel and sowing tools; the group may signal an agricultural ritual. The remaining figures, scattered around the rim, comprise what appears to be a market scene. The figures were likely cast separately and then soldered to the cover.
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