Description
The twelve-animal zodiac series—rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog, and boar—signifies a traditional Chinese concept of time structured in a cyclical order. The twelve animals are also linked to the art of fortunetelling that underlies human existence in connection with the changes of the universe. The use of the twelve zodiac animals as tomb furniture suggests they provided a cosmological structure for the afterlife.
Provenance
Mrs. R. Henry [Emery May Holden] Norweb [1895–1984], Cleveland, OH, given to the Cleveland Museum of Art (?–1972); The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (1972–)
Accession Number
1972.76.6
Medium
gray earthenware with traces of slip
Dimensions
Overall: 22.6 cm (8 7/8 in.)
Classification
Sculpture
Credit Line
The Norweb Collection