This model depicts a traditional Chinese architectural gateway (pailou in Chinese). It is comprised of three curved arches, decorated with bells and animal figures on the ridges. The decorative panels below the arches are painted with blooming flowers, interrupted by sections of openwork in the form of scrolling foliage. Gateways like this were constructed to mark the entrances to government offices, parks, and crossroads, as well as important religious buildings. In the Tang dynasty similar gateways were known as wutoumen (black top gates), but gateways in the form of this model were not made until the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties. They often feature inscriptions propagating certain moral principles, or extolling government achievements.
