Tile
Unknown Artist
Medium
Earthenware
Dimensions
H. 3 in. (7.6 cm); W. 12 3/4 in. (32.4 cm); D. 6 1/4 in. (15.9 cm)
Classification
Ceramics
Culture & Period
China · Qin–Han dynasty (221 B.C.–A.D. 220)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1910
Accession Number
10.202.3
Art Historical Context
This earthenware tile, hailing from China's Qin–Han dynasty ( B.C.–A.D. 220), offers a glimpse into one of the most transformative eras in Chinese history. The Qin dynasty unified the warring states into a vast empire under Emperor Qin Shi Huang, famed for Terracotta Army, while the Han dynasty expanded trade along the Silk Road and refined imperial arts. Such tiles, produced during this period, were essential for architecture and funerary structures, adorning tombs, palaces, and walls to ward off evil spirits and celebrate the afterlife. Crafted from earthenware—a low-fired clay valued for i...