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Mat Weight in the Form of a Bear
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
The bear imagery was particularly popular during the Han dynasty and was a metaphor of heroic power. This heavy, solid bear was probably used as a mat weight; other small squatting bears often served as the legs of vessels.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineMat Weight in the Form of a Bear, 202 BCE–9 CE. China, Western Han dynasty (206 BCE–8 CE). Gilt bronze; overall: 15.7 x 14.6 x 17.3 cm (6 3/16 x 5 3/4 x 6 13/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, John L. Severance Fund, 1994.203
