Cassandra Bufano
March 12, 2013
Professor Feliciano
Museum Paper During my scavenger hunt in the Norton Museum of Art finding the clues and walking throughout the museum was interesting. I enjoy the Norton Museum of Art’s contemporary but traditional feel. Once I got to the Chinese Art collection it was clear which piece I was supposed to be looking for. The ceramic piece of interest was sitting with a few other ceramic pieces from China. The table with food on it was called Tomb Model of a Table Filled with Offerings of Food. It was created by Dr. Gerald Shepps. The ceramic work was created in China during the Ming dynasty. The Ming dynasty dated from 1368 until 1644. The Tomb Model of a Table Filled with Offerings of Food was created because the Chinese believed that the afterlife of the extension of life and they believed that the model would provide them with food. During the Ming dynasty the Chinese created earthenware models that were put in tombs. The Chinese got the idea from the Tang dynasty. The Tang dynasty dated from 618 until 907. Both the Ming dynasty and the Tang dynasty created these three color models to furnish the tombs of the dead. The ceramic model pieces were called “spirit articles” or “mingqi”. The ceramic piece Tomb Model of a Table Filled with Offerings of food was medium sized. It has a white table top which looks like it could have been made out of slabs of clay. There are two different parts to the table top, one slight smaller than the other. The legs and feet of the table were shaped individually. The Tomb Model of a Table Filled with Offerings of food had four legs and two posts on either side of the table. The legs themselves looked very thick and sturdy. The colors of the table are white brown and a light pastel green. The table looks like it