Model of a guardhouse. Han Dynasty, 206 BC. - AD 220.Glazed terracotta.Size: 98 x 41 x 41 cm.Important piece in glazed terracotta, representing a traditional Chinese house. It has three floors, decorated with birds on balusters and roofs. The Han Dynasty, to which the terracotta warriors of Emperor Qin Shi Huang belonged, bequeathed a priceless quantity of high quality objects that bear witness to the way of life, customs and architecture of this period. The Han dynasty ruled China between 206 BC and 220 AD, more than four centuries during which the political, social and economic structures of China were consolidated, leading the country into the most glorious period of its history. The art of this period is still predominantly funerary, although it reflects the very high artistic level that would be reached in both the capitals and the provinces. These preserved objects provide us with information about the daily life and customs of the time, as the art bes much more mundane than the bronzes of the Zhou and Shang periods. The structures of the tombs also changed: the Shang tombs were vertical, while the Han tombs were built in the form of underground palaces. They were decorated with reliefs stamped with scenes from the life of the deceased, and a new material, lacquer, was introduced as an artistic medium. Most famous today, however, is the production of Han pottery, made of terracotta and generally decorated with cold-applied engobes, mainly black and red.Dimensions: 98 x 41 x 41 cm.