Rapping Clay Figurine

The Ceramic Figure of a Story-teller is a 2,000-year-old Eastern Han Dynasty artifact, unearthed in 1957 from Tianhui Mountain in Chengdu, Sichuan, and now permanently housed in the National Museum of China . Standing 56 cm tall, this seated figure wears a turban, bare chest, and loose trousers, with its left arm clutching a flat drum and right hand raised mid-strike . Its exaggerated expression—wide-open mouth, squinted eyes, and creased forehead—captures the peak of comedic performance, while the dynamic posture (right leg extended, left foot curled) conveys intense engagement with the act . Crafted using a combination of mold-casting and hand-sculpting, the figurine’s original mineral pigments and gold foil traces have faded but still reflect the Han Dynasty’s mastery of expressive clay art . 说唱陶俑是一尊有 2000 年历史的东汉文物，1957 年出土于四川成都天回山，现藏于中国国家博物馆 。陶俑高 56 厘米，坐姿，头戴巾帻，袒胸露腹，着宽裤赤足，左臂环抱扁鼓，右手举槌欲击 。其表情极度夸张 —— 咧嘴大笑、眯眼皱眉，额间皱纹似随笑声颤动；肢体动态强烈（右腿前伸、左脚蜷曲），仿佛正沉浸于说唱高潮 。工匠采用模制与手塑结合工艺，虽原有彩绘脱落，但泥质灰陶的朴拙质感仍展现汉代雕塑 “重神韵轻形似” 的美学追求 。