西晉 青瓷虎子|Vessel in shape of a crouching tiger
Unknown Artist
3rd–5th century
Medium
Stoneware with celadon glaze
Dimensions
H. 8 3/8 in (21.3 cm); W. 5 7/8 in. (14.9 cm); L.11 7/8 in. (30.2 cm)
Classification
Ceramics
Culture & Period
China · Western Jin dynasty (265–316)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1960
Accession Number
60.75.2
Tags
Art Historical Context
This striking stoneware vessel, crafted in the shape of a crouching tiger during China’s Western Jin dynasty (265–316), exemplifies the inventive spirit of early Chinese ceramics. Measuring just over a foot in length, the piece was formed from durable stoneware and coated with a subtle celadon glaze that yields a soft, jade-like green tone. Such tiger-shaped ewers, known as *huzi*, were likely used for pouring liquids in ritual or daily settings, blending utility with powerful animal imagery. The Western Jin period marked an important transition in Chinese art, as potters refined high-fired s...