Due to the relative improvement in standard of living during the Han Dynasty, the obsession with the idea of attaining immortality predominated public discourse. New philosophical theories of Confucianism which made filial piety and the qualification for high office cardinal virtues, drove more people to give visible proof of this virtue through the construction of elaborate tombs. At the basis of this expansion of the tomb industry was the persistence of old indigenous beliefs about the nature of the soul as a dichotimized entity that needed to be nourished in all realms of existence. The tomb objects functioned to satisfy both parts of the souls--the spirit-soul could be furnished with talismans and nourishment from sacrifices for its journey into the unkown while the earth-soul, as a continuation of life in this world, could be comforted with the materiality of life as we know it. Clay became the perfect medium for recreating realistic and symbolic forms. Artisans strove to capture the spirit and vitality of the subjects--a criterion which distinguished a craftsman's skill. This standing figurine bears the resemblance of a middle ranking soldier modelled with one hand forward and one drawn to his side. The holes in his hands indicate that he once held weapons or emblems of office. He dons a blue three quartered cross-over robe adorned with a red sash and cuffed sleeves. Layers of white and red inner garments cover the neck area and short trousers cover up to the knee. The hair is tucked under a blue cap lined with a red band. His facial features are painted with detail--a long upward curving moustache, straight tapered eyebrows, and frowning mouth. Originally, Han figurines were not created as works of art; they were made to answer a particular belief about life after death and the spiritual world. Nevertheless, they are the embodiment of the indigenous Chinese talent for sculpture as a means to express their views about contemporary society. As this figurine captures the life and vitality of the subject it was meant to portray, it serves as a superb example of tomb object artistry during the Han period.