Minneapolis Institute of Art

Funerary model of a pavilion

China

Date

1st century BCE-1st century CE

Medium

Low-fired earthenware with green glaze

Department

Asian Art

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

Ceramic models of common structures were often placed in aristocratic tombs during the Han dynasty. Improved methods of construction in the Han period led to the construction of many tower-like buildings made of brick, wood and ceramic tile. The model is made up of five detachable sections which together form four levels. Although nearly two thousand years old, it clearly shows the tile roof's cantilever bracket system, deep overhangs and walled courtyard that have remained standard in traditional Chinese architecture to the present day. This basic system of multi-story construction was later adopted to the building of Buddhist pagodas. China, Asia

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