Chinese amphora, Han Dynasty, 206 BC-220 AD.

Amphora. China, Han Dynasty, 206 BC-220 AD.
Ceramic, bronze appliqué.
Thermoluminescence test attached.
Measurements: 35 x 38 x 38 cm.
Black ceramic amphora with bronze appliqués or reinforcements in the form of protruding medallions that speckle the body and handles. The amphora follows an amphora typology that characterised the pottery of the Han Dynasty, in which a certain purification of geometric lines can be seen.
The Han Dynasty ruled China between 206 BC and 220 AD, more than four centuries during which the political, social and economic structures of China were consolidated, leading the country into the most glorious period of its history. The art of this period is still predominantly funerary, although it reflects the very high artistic level that would be reached in both the capitals and the provinces. These preserved objects provide us with information about the daily life and customs of the time, as the art becomes much more mundane than the bronzes of the Zhou and Shang periods. The structures of the tombs also changed: the Shang tombs were vertical, while the Han tombs were built in the form of underground palaces. They were decorated with reliefs stamped with scenes from the life of the deceased, and a new material, lacquer, was introduced as an artistic medium.