China's courtyard homes, like those of the Mediterranean, create a quiet, intimate space. Walls shelter the home from the noise and dust of the street, while the inner courtyard remains open for light, fresh air and rainwater. Courtyards are ideal places for gardens, and Chinese often plant fragrant trees and shrubs that perfume the air around their homes.

Courtyard homes are made with simple architectural materials: wood, plaster, tile and stone. The same basic materials have been used for centuries. This Han dynasty (221 BCE - 206 CE) mortuary statue shows the overlapping ceramic tile roof that is still used in Chinese construction today. It also illustrates exposed structural beams of the tower roofs and plaster walls of the courtyard. Chinese rarely built multi-story homes like this Han example. They were too vulnerable to damage from floods or earthquakes. But in the funerary context the tower symbolized high status.

Whenever possible the Chinese courtyard house faces south. This practice dates back to the Zhou dynasty (1045-256 BCE). Southern orientation protects the home from the cold winter winds that blow in from the north and the west. At the same time, winter sun warms the home from its position low in the sky. In the summer months, the home's deep eaves provide cooling shade and protection from the rain.

Rich and poor built variations of the same courtyard house. Differences are apparent in the details. Modest families covered lattice windows with paper, the rich with pieces of mother of pearl. Common homes had plain wood beams while those of the wealthy were intricately carved. Laws dictated how homes could be built and decorated. Only officials of a certain rank could enjoy carved woodwork or floor tiles placed along a diagonal, as is seen in the Wu Reception Hall at The Minneapolis Institute of Arts.