Tomb Brick
CultureChinese
Date3rd century B.C.E.
MediumGray pottery with incised decoration
DimensionsOverall: 43 1/4 × 50 1/2 × 3 1/4 inches (109.86 × 128.27 × 8.26 cm)
Credit LinePurchase: William Rockhill Nelson Trust
Object number35-323 B
On View
On viewGallery Location
- 231
Collections
DescriptionThe object is a low-fired, triangular-shaped ceramic piece. There is a carved (incised) dragon and warrior design on the top surface surrounded by a stamped wave-and-rope-patterned border. Fairly extensive traces of red, white, and a minor trace of green pigments are seen within the dragon design and on the border. Some burial dirt is also present in the incised design and on top of the pigment areas. There appears to be a continuous layer of plaster on the back surface that may be reinforced with iron rods. The piece is attached to a 3/4-inch-thick piece of wood with screws into the plaster backing and possibly into the piece itself.Gallery LabelOriginally brightly painted, this pair of bricks formed the lintel of a tomb. Dragons were symbols of divine power and, although lacking wings, could fly through the heavens. Depicted within the tomb they were not only a protective force, but perhaps also a vehicle for the soul of the occupant on celestial journeys. The attenuated forms and springy outlines brilliantly convey the dynamic energy of these mythical beasts.
Purchased through Lawrence Sickman by The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO, 1935.
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