Pottery ox cart

Bullock cart can be dated prior to the Qin dynasty. According to the treatise “Travel and Dress” in the Book of Jin, it was not a means of transportation for the nobility until it was adopted by the feudal lords whose power was weakened by the Han Emperor of Wu. From the Wei and Jin dynasties to the prime of the Tang dynasty, bullock carts became increasingly well-furnished and popular among aristocratic families. The piece features a rear door for easy boarding while a curtain can be hanged on the front for shading. Making reference to unearthed pieces, there might be a small back rest inside the spacious compartment originally. The ride can be so comfortable that the scholar-officials of Liang dynasty were said to have always commuted on carriages and within the suburbs, there was no horse-riding man in sight.