Green lead-glazed pottery watchtower
- Audio guide stop: 624
- Gallery: Room 33
- Culture: Han dynasty
- Made in: China (North)
- Date: 25-220
- Object type: model building/structure
- Materials: earthenware
- Museum number: 1929,0716.1
- Museum: The British Museum
- Collection record: British Museum website
- Image © The Trustees of the British Museum, shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 licence.
Listen to the free audio guide
About this object
Before you is a model of a watchtower from the Han dynasty in China. This small structure is crafted from earthenware and covered with a green lead glaze that has faded over time into a soft, earthy hue. You’ll notice the careful detailing of its wooden design, complete with tiled roofs and architectural features that reflect early Chinese building techniques.
Created between 25 and 220, this model comes from northern China and was likely made as a representation of a real wooden tower. Its square base and tiered form give it a sense of solidity and grandeur.
This piece is part of a collection donated by Lady Edith Chester Beatty. As you look closer, you can appreciate the simplicity and elegance of Han dynasty craftsmanship in miniature architecture.
See it in person
Green lead-glazed pottery watchtower is on display in Room 33 at the British Museum on Great Russell Street, Bloomsbury, London — free to enter. Choose British Museum on audioguide.london and type its audio guide stop number, 624, from the gallery label, or take a photo of it, to hear this free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
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