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Han Tomb Figurines
In the mid and late Western Han, the economy recovered and began to prosper.
The change was readily reflected in the tomb figurines. The aristocrats took
figurines of dancers, singers, bands and even acrobatic troupes to their tombs.
In addition, farming human figurines and domestic animals were also found.
The following Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220 A.D.) brought the luxury to another
height. The tombs were larger with more funeral objects. Chengdu is one of the
most leisurely free cities in today's China, boasting of ubiquitous teahouses
dotting almost every street. But 2,000 years ago in Eastern Han, the grass-root
culture of the city was no inferior to today.

This is a figurine of a singer unearthed in Tianhuishan of Chengdu. Some 55
centimeters high, the shirtless singer, beating a drum in his left arm, was so
happy in his performance that he unconsciously raised his right leg. The
craftsmen didn't follow the beaten track of realistic presentation; instead,
they used exaggerations to highlight the most unique features of people. Such
figurines can be found in tombs of the Eastern Han Dynasty in other
places.
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