Watchtower

Among the most striking creations of the Han potters are the architectural models of watchtowers. The Han dynasty was a period of dynastic expansion with much new building and these models embody the spirit of that age. These towers might be used for fortification but also for pleasure and entertainment. Models of these towers were particularly suitable for placing in tombs as their height would aid the spirits of the deceased to reach the heavens.

China’s imperial past dates back to the Qin dynasty (221–206 BC). In the Eastern Zhou period (770–256 BC), the small kingdom of Qin, situated in the Shaanxi region, began to conquer neighbouring territories and in 221 BC the Qin king proclaimed himself emperor. As first emperor, Qin Shi Huangdi ruled over an empire which comprised the greater part of modern-day China. Qin (pronounced ‘Chin’) gave China its name and the foundations of its cultural identity.

The Han Dynasty (206 BC–220 AD) brought a more lasting stability and saw the development of a substantial ceramic industry devoted to the production of funeral goods. Since raw materials were widely available and manufacture straightforward, burial wares could be produced wherever needed. Life in the hereafter was thought to be a continuation of life on earth, thus tombs were designed to contain the necessities for a comfortable, perhaps idealised, existence.