Untitled

Unknown

3rd–6th century · Grey earthenware with pigment · Asian Art

By the late Jin and Yuan dynasties, the twelve animals of the zodiac were scarcely included in burials. They were often depicted with exaggerated physical features; their heads are disproportionately large and their expressions are playful and mischievous, like cartoon figures. The snake, for example, smirks and rolls its bulging eyes as it raises its head above its coiled body.

Artist

Unknown

Date

3rd–6th century

Medium

Grey earthenware with pigment

Culture

China

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Charlotte C. and John C. Weber Collection, Gift of Charlotte C. and John C. Weber, 1994