Watchtower

MediumLead-glazed earthenware

Dimensions53 x 13 1/2 inches (134.6 x 34.3 cm)

CultureChina

PeriodEastern Han Dynasty (206 BC–220 AD)

ClassificationsCeramics

Credit LineGift of Harry Lynch III

Terms

Ceramics
Tomb sculptures
Lead-glazed earthenware
Architecture
Balconies
Buttresses
Doorways
Gable-on-hip roofs
Guardhouses
Lattice windows
Military buildings
Military personnel
Soldiers
Tomb sculptures
Towers
Weapons
Chinese

Object number87.081.001

Label CopyCeramic architectural models excavated from Han tombs are replicas of actual buildings that reflect contemporary living conditions. At the end of the Han dynasty, when the old, centralized system failed to adequately protect the country, independent landowners rose to replace the state and become the political and economic units outside the metropolitan areas. They maintained their own guards to protect their land. Watchtowers inevitably became a strong defensive element in the private security system. This five-story structure is situated on a square courtyard where a bird is seen inside, while a guard stands at the gate. The second story, enclosed by openwork windows, is entirely attached to the lower level by mask-headed buttresses. Balconies on the third and fourth levels provide lookouts for an archer, a guard, and a well-dressed figure who might represent the master of the house. In the afterlife this watchtower served to provide protection for the part of the soul that would remain in the tomb, while the bird that surmounts the roof has arrived to provide an escort for the part of the soul that will journey to heaven.

Collections