A Terracotta Model of a Granary

By the Western Han dynasty, basic household bowls, plates, basins, jars, etc. were produced in great quantity, not only for use in daily life, but also specifically for tombs as mingqi (明器)—literally "bright objects"—or grave goods, as a way to provide for the deceased. These mingqi included everything one would need during the afterlife, and reflected daily life during the Han. Mingqi could include houses, towers, granaries, livestock pens, chicken coops, cooking stoves, incense burners, lamps, and figures such as horses, dogs, and people such as officials, guardians, servants, and entertainers, and more. The number of ceramic mingqi items in a tomb could reach numbers of a few to several hundred objects. This is a grey pottery model of a raised barrel granary, typical of the period.