Ancient China

 The Cleveland Museum of Art has several galleries devoted to China.  The country has a long history which goes back millennia.  We will begin with works from China's ancient past.

These two pieces of pottery are more than 4000 years old.  They are from the Neolithic Age, but they show considerable artistic talent and imagination.

This drum stand from perhaps 400 B.C. looks like a piece of modern sculpture.  It is made of lacquered wood and depicts two large cranes standing atop two serpents.  The drum would have been suspended by ropes between the cranes' necks.

The bronze cauldron with three legs dates from around 1000 B.C.  Food was placed inside of it for ancestral spirits.

These expertly crafted bronze items... a square wine container and a rectangular food vessel... were made around 1200 B.C. during the late Shang Dynasty.

This bronze bell from between 800 and 700 B.C. is inscribed with an early example of Chinese caligraphy.

This bronze food container from between 600 and 500 B.C. features beautiful openwork and sculptural designs such as the dragon handles.

This jar of glazed stoneware comes from between 100 B.C. and A.D. 100 during the Han Dynasty.  The glaze gives it the appearance of bronze.

This earthenware jug, also from the Han Dynasty, has a dragon amid scrolling forms that represent clouds or waves.

This heavy, solid bear of gilt bronze from the Han Dynasty was probably used as a weight to hold down floor mats.  The bear was a popular symbol of heroic strength.

This cylindrical container of gilt bronze was probably used as a cosmetics box.  It too is from the era of the Han Dynasty.

There is more to come from China.