Han Model of a Dyeing Workshop in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, July 2017

Model of a Dyeing Workshop


Object Details

Period: Eastern Han dynasty (25–220)

Culture: China

Medium: Earthenware

Dimensions: H. 8 7/16 in. (21.5 cm); W. 7 3/8 in. (18.8 cm); L. 11 in. (28 cm)

Classification: Architectural Models

Credit Line: Lent by Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Museum


This miniature stove model takes the form of a rectangular prism with a sloped top. The facade at the taller end of the slope has an arched opening into the fire chamber, which is attended by a worker. The facade on the shorter end has a rectangular vent and is topped by a chimney. Three hearths crown the model, each heating a cauldron tended by two toiling figures. That the workers are stirring and scooping water suggests that this model may have replicated one used in a dyeing workshop.


Text from: www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/640930