Tomb Figurine of a Dancer with Long-Sleeved Gown

WHERE WAS IT MADE?This model was made in the Han dynasty (206 BC-AD 220). The general location was Luoyang, Henan Province in Central China.WHEN WAS IT MADE?This model of a dancer was made in the Han dynasty (206 BC-AD 220). During the Han Dynasty the people of China established the Silk Road, a trade route that linked China to the Roman Empire. They formed strong political alliances abroad while inventing new technologies such as paper and lead-glazed ceramics at home.HOW WAS IT MADE?Objects that are made to use in the afterlife are called mingqi (ming chi). Clay mingqi are formed in molds. Clay can be pressed into the same mold over and over again to make many copies. The artists who made mingqi in ancient China worked together in workshops. Several clay pieces are joined together to make a complex sculpture, such as a horse.HOW WAS IT USED?This small figure of a dancer was placed in a Han dynasty tomb to entertain the deceased in the afterlife. Tombs served as a house for the spirit of the deceased. They were filled with objects to provide for the spirit and prevent the spirit from turning into a ghost that would harass the living. Many of the funerary practices of the Han were adopted from the preceding Bronze Age. Han tombs provide us with a wealth of information about daily life and social practices because people from all social classes—not just imperial families—constructed tombs filled with objects from their lives. Imperial tombs were large-scale projects that took many years to build—often, emperors began work on their tombs in the second year of their reigns and reserved one-third of their personal treasury for the construction. More modest tombs consisted of several chambers built into the earth with stone tiles, each filled with objects for entertainment, feasting, housing, and protection. Painted on the walls are scenes from daily life, memorials of the deceased, and funeral processions.WHY DOES IT LOOK LIKE THIS?The dancer is stepping onto a circular drum as part of a special performance called a pan dance. In this dance the performer would move swiftly across rows of drums, and she would beat out the rhythm of the music with her footsteps. The dancer’s costume has long, flowing sleeves. These would make her look even more graceful as she moves. Wealthy or important people would often have entertainment at their homes, usually in a large, open area like this courtyard.