Henan Museum
Pictorial Brick with Acrobatics on Rope and Chariot
Edit: Acf
Time: 2024-12-23 10:37:45
Period: Eastern Han dynasty (25--220 CE)
Provenance: Acquired at Renying Village of Xinye county, Nanyang, 1981
Measurements: L. 62L. 62 cm, W.32 cm cm, W.32 cm
About:

Being rectangular and hollowed in shape, the brick has a horizontal image with the right half part missing. With a combination of linear and ichnographic techniques, the image captures the instantaneous state of the most thrilling moment of the acrobatic movement, displaying the chariot acrobatics in the Han dynasty. The border of the performing scene was embellished with continuous irregular clouds within two raised lines.

In Han dynasty, horse and chariot was ubiquitously in life and productive activities, apart from being used for transportation, they were also used in acrobatics, and came to being a sport game on chariot for performance, characterized by chariot, mast, acrobat, or dancer & musician, known as “Xi Che” (lit.performing chariot).

Such pictorial bricks with chariots and acrobatics were widely distributed, with discoveries that were made in places such as the central and southern Henan, Shandong, Xuzhou, etc. Indicating the popularity of the show during the Han dynasty.