Description
This panel shows a figure with a human body and the features of a rat, which is one of the signs of the Asian zodiac, and is likely one of 12 granite panels from a royal tomb. It is probably from Gyeongju—the capital of the kingdoms of the Silla (57 BCE–668) and Unified Silla (688–935) periods—where large royal tomb mounds can still be found. This panel resembles those showing the animal signs of the Korean zodiac from the tomb of General Kim Yusin (595–673) in Gyeongju, the most famous tomb of the period.
Provenance
Reportedly from the Kyongju royal tomb complex, North Kyongsang province; The Honorable Joseph P. Carroll and Roberta Carroll, MD, New York, NY, given to the Cleveland Museum of Art (?-1988); The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (1988-)
Accession Number
1988.249
Medium
granite
Dimensions
Overall: 147.3 x 45.3 cm (58 x 17 13/16 in.)
Classification
Sculpture
Credit Line
Gift of The Honorable Joseph P. Carroll and Roberta Carroll, M.D. in memory of Mr. Gregory Henderson
