Guardians of the table: Cats on Han-dynasty lacquerware

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Guardians of the table: Cats on Han-dynasty lacquerware

The leopard cat motifs on the lacquerware unearthed from the Han Dynasty tombs at Mawangdui may be one of the earliest known feline imageries in China. More than a hundred appear across the vessels, poised in vivid, varied postures, crouching or standing atop food platters, their tails curling with a striking sense of life. In the Han world, where people dined seated on the floor, the leopard cat was valued for catching rats and protecting stored food. Over time, it came to be seen as a guardian of the table, its image painted onto lacquerware as a quiet emblem of blessing, protection and good fortune.

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