Description:

Archaeologists have found figures of pigs like this in burials. This example is made of glass but they were also made in jade. Figures of pigs are often found in pairs and are sometimes found in the hands of the dead.

The pig has been one of the most important animals in the Chinese diet since ancient times. People may have included figures shaped like pigs in burials to ensure the dead person had a constant supply of meat in the afterlife. In China pigs, with their fat bodies, are symbols of abundance as well as virility.

Glass (?), wheel-cut
Height: 2.7 cm, width: 2.5 cm, length: 11.5 cm

Chinese Description:

猪形明器 中国，汉代(公元前206-公元221 年) 考古学家在不少墓葬遗址发现相类的猪形明器。不同的是，那些塑像多为玉石所做的。这类猪形明器多成双成对的，又或由死者双手握着，或许祈求死者在阴间享有充足的肉食。 玻璃 (?)， 轮刻

Creator: Unknown

Date: Han dynasty (206 BC - 221 AD)

Copyright: Bristol Museums, Galleries & Archives

Object ID:N4811