Lamp in the Shape of a Seated Man in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, July 2017

Lamp in the Shape of a Seated Man

China


Object Details

东汉 陶人俑灯

Title: Lamp in the Shape of a Seated Man

Period: Eastern Han dynasty (25–220)

Culture: China

Medium: Earthenware

Dimensions: H. 11 13/16 in. (30 cm)
Lamp: Diam. 4 1/8 in. (10.5 cm)

Classification: Ceramics

Credit Line: Lent by Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Museum


This sturdy man in a rigid seated posture boasts thick eyebrows, large eyes, a high nose bridge, and a full beard, distinguishing him as non-Chinese. He is sometimes described as being naked because of the curved contour lines visible on the body, but two incised lines around his neck may represent the collar of a thin garment. The sketchy vertical incisions below the collar lines may delineate the rough texture of a woven textile.

Text from: www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/640931