Pottery Figurines of the Zodiac in the Northern Wei Dynasty: Pottery Tiger

The Terracotta Warriors of the Twelve Palaces is a work of the Northern Wei Dynasty in China, made in the 500 AD era. This terracotta figure is made of gray terracotta, and there are traces on the surface that show that it was coated with slippery soil. This pottery figurine is part of the Zodiac series, and the animals represent the traditional concept of time in ancient China. This group of pottery figurines is currently in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. The pottery figurines of the Northern Wei Dynasty showed the great confluence of the farming culture of the Han nationality in the Central Plains and the nomadic culture of the northern grassland at that time, as well as the new look of ancient pottery under the influence of the flourishing Buddhist statues and sculptures.