Title
Winged dragon
Year/Period
Han dynasty (206 BCE-220 CE)
Region
China
Material
Technique
Dimension
Object size: L31.0 cm
Accession No.
C-1405
Collection of
Credit Line
Purchased with funds from The Shaw Foundation
This grey pottery dragon has traces of white slip (liquid clay). The stylised body with wings and short legs makes this an unusual form.It is 'mingqi' or burial ware that would have been part of a larger group of funerary items interred in the grave of a member of the ruling elite.The custom was an ancient one. It is thought these wares were necessary for the deceased in the next world. Elaborate groups of burial wares were also a display of wealth and social status.
