Mortuary Figure of the Zodiac Sign: Rat (Aries)

A small gray earthenware figure with an animal head, likely a rat, stands in a long robe with its sleeves clasped at the waist. Traces of red pigment and light slip cling to the surface, and the body widens into a flared base. The figure was made as a tomb object in the Northern Wei period.

Look closer: Traces of red pigment remain on the upper shoulder and sleeve, a faint trace of the original painted color.

Artist

Unknown

Date

500s

Medium

gray earthenware with traces of slip

Source

The Cleveland Museum of Art

Size

2173 × 3400 px

Credit (appreciated, not required for public-domain works): The Cleveland Museum of Art, The Norweb Collection