◇ Heritage No. :
◇ Collection Name:Painted terracotta figures with Hu (a tablet held before the breast by officials when received in audience by the emperor)
◇ Historical date:Western Han dynasty
◇ Collection Size:height 54, width 14cm
◇ Collection Source:Beidongshan tomb of Chu kings in Western Han Dynasty, Xuzhou
The terracotta figure have a solemn look, holding Hu and sword. Wearing a hat or crown and a triple-layer garment, their hands arched with the right lapel on the overlapping collar and the sleeves covering the hands. There is a rectangular space at the arch hand, which should be used for holding a Hu board. Hu board is made of bamboo and wood. It is rotten. Only sawdust remains in there. There is also a small hole in the left side of the body, presumably where the sword is inserted. "The book of rites, Yuzao" says, "Hu, the hand board. (the officials) hold before the breast when received in audience by the emperor. " "The book of Jin · Yu Fuzhi" says: "Hu is a notebook when he has something to keep, so he often stick the writing brush in one's hair/behind the ear." It can be seen that the terracotta figures holding Hu by hand should be civil servants with higher positions, representing the image of civil officials with higher positions in Chu state.