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Course: Art of Asia > Unit 2
Lesson 6: Han dynasty (206 B.C.E–220 C.E.)- Han dynasty (206 B.C.E.–220 C.E.), an introduction
- Introduction to the Han dynasty
- The search for immortality: The Tomb of Lady Dai
- Funeral banner of Lady Dai (Xin Zhui)
- Ladle
- Mirror with game board design and animals of the four directions
- Tomb model of a watchtower
- Disk (bi) with knobs, feline, and dragon
- Vase with cover
- Cicada
- House model
- Storehouse
- Money tree
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Ladle
by Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art
This hemispherical ladle has a long handle, which curves upward and ends in a dragon head. Four raised horizontal bands appear at the base of the handle. Between the dragon head and the bands is a twenty-three-character inscription inlaid with gold. The inscription is rendered in two columns. At the beginning of each column is a stylized bird also inlaid with gold wire. Translated, the inscription reads:
As commanded by the magistrate of Chang’an this bronze measuring vessel was made; it holds a weight of three jin and two liang (about 1.75 lbs); it was made in the first year of the Shenjue era by the workshop of Gongji; this is number nine. [1]
The handle has been cleaned to expose the inscription, while the rest of the ladle surface is covered with a rough, green patina (typical long-term burial corrosion).
Though short-lived, the Qin dynasty (221–206 B.C.E.) set standards for many systems that would last for centuries, including weights and measures. The inscription on this Han dynasty (206 BCE–220 C.E.) ladle refers to a government standard of measure. It also indicates that the ladle belonged to a series of similar objects made by the capital workshops. They were most likely to be used at various government departments where such a system of measuring was required.
The inscribed characters on the ladle were written in lishu—clerical or official script. This style of writing was used mainly for official government purposes when it first emerged. During the Han dynasty, almost all official documents were written in lishu. Lishu is notable for its emphasis on horizontal strokes and somewhat angular form, as seen in the inscription here. The character lines are very curvy, suggesting they were not engraved but cast into the ladle. The gold wires were then hammered in after the ladle was cast.
Notes:
[1] Translation from Max Loehr, Relics of Ancient China, from the Collection of Dr. Paul Singer (New York: Asia Society, 1965), no. 123.
This resource was developed for Teaching China with the Smithsonian, made possible by the generous support of the Freeman Foundation
For the classroom
Discussion questions:
- What can we infer about cultural values during the Han dynasty by analyzing this artifact?
- Why do you think the artisan inscribed the date and manufacturer on the artifact?
- Research the origins of measuring standards we use today: foot, meter, yard, grams, teaspoon, etc. Were any of these measurements dictated from a standard initiated by a government?