Fan Kuai was a military general of the early Western Han dynasty. He was a prominent figure of the Chu–Han Contention, a power struggle for supremacy over China between the Han dynasty's founder, Liu Bang, and his rival, Xiang Yu.
A Ming dynasty illustration of Fan Kuai
Emperor Gaozu of Han, also known by his given name Liu Bang (劉邦), was the founder and first emperor of the Han dynasty, reigning from 202 to 195 BC. He is considered by traditional Chinese historiography to be one the greatest emperors in history, credited with establishing the Pax Sinica, one of China's longest golden ages.
Posthumous depiction from the Ming dynasty
Liu Bang, in an illustration by Qing dynasty artist Shangguan Zhou 上官周 (1665–1749)
A Western Han female dancer in silk robes, 2nd century BC, Metropolitan Museum of Art; Xiang Zhuang intended to assassinate Liu Bang by pretending to do a sword dance
A portrait painting of Emperor Gao of Han (Liu Bang), from an 18th-century Qing dynasty album of Chinese emperors' portraits.[citation needed]