Connected in death

Liubo was a game thought to be popular among immortals and mortals. Provided to China Daily

The ancient Chinese believed that the netherworld was similar to the world of the living. To maintain one's status after death, a tomb also had to offer the items used by its occupant while alive.

In the early part of the Western Han dynasty (206 BC-around 100 BC), tombs contained models of soldiers, as they had in the time of the first Qin emperor (221-206 BC). Slightly later, the burial goods would include ceramic models showing life among the nobility and the rich. In the Eastern Han dynasty (AD 25-220), the tombs of ordinary people, including farmers, musicians and dancers, contained models representing their daily lives.

The figures in the item pictured are gambling. They are playing Liubo, a game thought to be popular both mortals and immortals alike. The board is marked with divination symbols, and the game pieces included the animals of the four directions: the White Tiger (West), the Green Dragon (East), the Vermilion Bird (South) and the Tortoise, with a snake coiled around its body, known as the Dark Warrior (North).

The models are made of earthenware, covered with a green lead glaze. Lead glazes were used only for burial goods, because they are poisonous.

Date: Ongoing

Venue: The British Museum, London

Website: http://www.britishmuseum.org