Ancient Pottery Figures Get Modern Voice in Taiwan Museum's New Stickers

The National Museum of History in Taiwan has transformed its collection of ancient pottery figures into a series of humorous LINE stickers, aptly titled 'Little Pottery Workers on Duty.' These stickers, designed with Taiwanese Hokkien captions, offer a surprisingly modern and relatable commentary on the lives of contemporary office workers, capturing the essence of their struggles and emotions through the expressive faces and gestures of figures from the Han and Tang dynasties.

The Han Dynasty pottery figures are characterized by their simple yet dynamic style, capturing the aesthetics of daily life. Among the Tang Dynasty pieces, the 'Three-Colored Heavenly King Statue' stands out for its vibrant glazes and imposing presence, recognized as a national important artifact. The collection cleverly selects 16 distinct pottery figures, each with a vivid expression or posture that mirrors common workplace sentiments.

For instance, a Han Dynasty figure with arms raised and mouth agape is humorously captioned as questioning, "Where's my money?" Another, a kneeling figure ('Brown Glazed Kneeling Figure') with one hand raised and the other on the ground, seems to lament, "Oh heavens!" A 'Green Glazed Actor Figure,' with a serious expression and hurried posture, is used to signify the surprise of discovering, "Oh no! The boss is here!"

Even figures with seemingly neutral expressions are given witty interpretations. A 'Polychrome Pottery Lady Figure,' with rouged cheeks and painted lips, is depicted as receiving the dreaded news: "Still have to work overtime." A majestic 'Three-Colored Warrior Figure' from the Tang Dynasty, with one hand open as if signaling 'five,' is humorously captioned, "Five minutes, just five more minutes!" These interpretations highlight the timeless nature of human emotions and the shared experiences of workers across centuries.