Chinese
Model of a Watchtower, 25–220 CE, Eastern Han Dynasty
On view
Earthenware
Dimensions22 × 14 × 14 in. (55.9 × 35.6 × 35.6 cm)
Gift of Dr. Gerald J. Shepps in memory of Roslyn and Benjamin Shepps, 2009.1
During the Han Dynasty, watchtowers would have been a familiar part of the landscape, providing a high vantage point to spot invading enemies. Ceramic models, which would have been placed in a tomb, reinforced the status of the deceased and offered protection in the afterlife. This model is particularly important as no original architecture exists from this time period. These funerary objects, therefore, not only reflect early Chinese society and funerary practices but they also represent the architectural style of the period.
