Terracotta Dog

The dog rests on the ground, raises its pointy ears, looks with wide-open eyes, and pants with its mouth open. Although the animal appears to be in repose, it remains vigilant. This category of terracotta figurines of dogs usually appear in resting or standing poses and were unearthed in front of clay models of Han-dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE) courtyards as part of funerary tribute for which the clay dogs served as guards.