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Civil Official

Qin dynasty (221–206 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 civil official or scribe was one of twelve figures found in a pit southwest of the First Emperor’s tomb. The pit and its contents may have represented the office of the Commandant of the Court, the highest legal bureau in the empire. The figure’s peaked cap probably represents the type worn by officials of his merit rank. His long robe is belted; many such figures wear a knife and a bag suspended from their belt, the bag presumably containing a sharpening stone. The knife was used to excise errors written on bamboo or wood documents.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • 秦 陶文官俑
  • Title: Civil Official
  • Period: Qin dynasty (221–206 BCE)
  • Culture: China
  • Medium: Earthenware
  • Dimensions: H. 83 5/8 in. (212.4 cm); W. 20 in. (50.8 cm); D. 18 3/4 in. 47.6 cm); Wt. 617.3 lb. (280 kg)
  • Classification: Sculpture
  • Credit Line: Lent by Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art