Models of stoves, both in bronze and ceramic, were popular during the Han dynasty but became rare in later periods. Our stove is quite unusual for its large size. A rectangular opening, surrounded by incised decoration, was placed on the side of the stove for inserting the fuel. The body serves as a firebox and the smoke would have vented through the long, curving chimney opposite the opening.[1] On the top surface of the stove body are three circular openings covered by vessels. The two shallow pans would have held food for cooking. The deep basin typically would have had a grating so the upper section could be used as a steamer. Some models of stoves are also accompanied in the tomb by figures of chefs, as is the case in our exhibition (cat. no. 24).[2]

The ceramic stove in our exhibition would have been used by the model chef to prepare the delicacies most favored by our tomb occupant in the afterlife. Our knowledge of food preparation in the Han dynasty is quite rich. An actual stove would have risen to waist height.[3] The “Neize” chapter (Guide to the Domestic Virtues) of the Liji, written in the first century BCE, provides details of the ingredients, preparation, and presentation of the cuisines of the elite.[4] Tombs 1 and 3 at Mawangdui provide archaeological evidence for the text. These tombs, which date from 186 to 168 BCE during the early Western Han dynasty, were excavated in Changsha, Hunan province. Tomb 1, belonging to the matriarch of an aristocratic family, Lady Dai, was particularly well preserved because it had been lined with clay. Her body was also in good condition; it was revealed that she had died at the age of fifty with back problems and perhaps gastric ailments, as melon seeds were found in her stomach. Tomb 1 contained forty-eight bamboo baskets of prepared meats and fruit, and fifty-one ceramic containers, mostly filled with food, as well as sacks of cereals, vegetables, and rice. The preferred meal of Lady Dai was laid out on lacquered dishes with chopsticks ready to be consumed, with bamboo slips identifying each dish. Comparable information was also found in Tomb 3, which was occupied by her son.