A Terracotta Funerary Model of a Pleasure House

Han Dynasty, China, 206 BCE–220 CEPainted terracotta model of a multi-level funerary structure, possibly a house or a pleasure house, for entertainment. It is populated with miniature attendant figures, musicians, and a dog sitting at attention by the first-floor entrance. Created as mingqi burial objects, models of this type were intended to reproduce aspects of domestic life for the deceased in the afterlife. Detailed balconies, tiled roofs, and seated figures provide valuable insight into Han Dynasty architecture, social hierarchy, and everyday life. Traces of original bright pigments remain visible across the surface. The doors are still operable!