Mat Weight in the Form of a Bear, China, Western Han dynasty (206 BCE–8 CE). Gilt bronze. Overall: 15.7 x 14.6 x 17.3 cm. The Cleveland Museum of Art, John L. Severance Fund 1994.203.

Bear imagery, which symbolized heroic power, was particularly popular during the Han dynasty.

The bear imagery was particularly popular during the Han dynasty and was a metaphor of heroic power. This heavy, solid bear was probably used as a mat weight; other small squatting bears often served as the legs of vessels.