Accession Number1993/1.74
TitleModel of a well-head
Artist(s)ChineseArtist NationalityChinese (culture or style)Object Creation Date25-220Medium & Supportearthenware with glazeDimensions 15 11/16 in x 7 7/8 in x 7 11/16 in (39.8 cm x 20 cm x 19.5 cm)
Credit LineGift of Domino's Pizza, Inc.Subject matterThis is a funerary sculpture in the form of a well-head, which are commonly found in Eastern Han tombs.
By the Western Han dynasty, basic household bowls, plates, basins, jars, and the like were produced in great quantity, not only for use in daily life but also specifically for tombs as
mingqi (明器), literally "bright objects" as a way to provide for the deceased. As these
mingqi included everything one would need during the afterlife, these objects reflected daily life during the Han.
Mingqi could include houses, towers, gates, granaries, livestock pens, chicken coops, wells, cooking stoves, storage vessels, dishes, incense burners, and lamps; they were also figures such as horses, dogs, anthropomorphic animals, officials, guardians, servants, and entertainers. The number of ceramic
mingqi items in a tomb could reach numbers of a few to several hundred objects.
Physical DescriptionThis red earthenware model of a well-head is constructed from an upside-down, wheel-thrown bowl with a hole pierced in its base to create the opening for the well. Its wide rim creates the well-head's base, and a flat clay slab forms the framed opening and windlass. It is topped with a small hip and gabled roof pavilion, and a basin and amphora rest on the framing. The model is covered in a green lead glaze, with iridescence and calcification.
Primary Object Classification Ceramic Primary Object Typefunerary sculptureAdditional Object Classification(s)CeramicCollection AreaAsianRightsIf you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit
http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.
Keywords
architectural models
ceramic (material)
earthenware
grave goods
lead glaze
water wells