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Figure of a Dog

Eastern Han dynasty (25–220)
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 207
This glazed pottery figure depicts a dog with a menacing look, marked by its raised ears, staring eyes, and tightly clenched jaws. Its studded collar, a fashionable accessory of the time, suggests that the animal was a pet with a wealthy master. During the Han dynasty, it was common practice to bury pottery models of dogs in graves, in the belief that they would keep the deceased humans company in the afterlife.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • 东汉 绿釉陶狗
  • Title: Figure of a Dog
  • Period: Eastern Han dynasty (25–220)
  • Culture: China
  • Medium: Earthenware with dark green glaze
  • Dimensions: H. 10 1/2 in. (26.7 cm); W. 4 1/2 in. (11.4 cm); L. 9 1/2 in. (24.1 cm)
  • Classification: Ceramics
  • Credit Line: Gift of Stanley Herzman, in memory of Adele Herzman, 1991
  • Object Number: 1991.253.1
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art

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