This paper, through the sorting of wooden fi gurines unearthed from the Han tombs at Mawangdui, explores the source, innovations and contents of these image from the original context of the tombs, and reveals the continuity of the cultural tradition of the former Chu State and the absorption of prevailing customs of the time for these wooden fi gurines as well as such new characteristics as their number, technique of expression, and style.

The three Han tombs at Mawangdui yielded a large number of well-preserved wooden figurines which have drawn wide attention from the academic world in the past 40 years. There have been numerous research results concerning these wooden figurines, whose contents cover such issues as their carving techniques and shapes, identity and functions, a comparison with Chu and Han wooden fi gurines, and the ritual culture refl ected by these wooden fi gurines. This paper is a summary of these research results and will be helpful to the further study of the artistic charms of these wooden fi gurines as we