Liubo Game Player (Translation)
六博對弈陶俑 漢 (Primary Title)

Unknown (Artist)

1st century BC–AD 1st century
Chinese
One of four figures; earthenware with pigment
China
Overall: 13 × 8 7/8 × 7 1/4 in. (33.02 × 22.54 × 18.42 cm)
99.39.4
Part of a set "Liubo Game Players" (99.39.1-4)
Liubo is a military battle game whose rules are long lost. It first appeared in China around the 17th century BC and became extremely popular in the Han dynasty. As exhibited here, the game was played by two people sitting on the floor. They used dice, game pieces, counter sticks, and a marked board. Here the facial features and hand gestures of the players depict a dramatic moment of the game.
Han dynasty (206 BC–220 AD)
Gift of Senator Hugh Scott, by exchange, and Arthur and Margaret Glasgow Fund
Image released via Creative Commons CC-BY-NC

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