Silkworm, Han dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE). Gilt bronze 1.11 x 7.3 x 1.59 cm. Gift of Ruth and Bruce Dayton, 96.55.1 © Minneapolis Institute of Art 

Solidly cast in a realistic form, this bronze silkworm might have functioned as a mat or shroud weight in a Han dynasty tomb. Sericulture, or silk farming, was an important industry in ancient China and, with the opening of trade routes to the West during the second century BCE, the export of silk became an important source of wealth. Accordingly, this tiny worm would have symbolized both luxury and economic prosperity to Han society.