Hollow Tile: Column from Tomb-Chamber Doorway
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
100–200 CE
This object is an earthenware hollow tile forming a column from a tomb-chamber doorway, created in China during the Han dynasty between 100 and 200 CE. It measures 113.7 cm by 18.4 cm (44 3/4 by 7 1/4 inches) and served as a structural element in an underground portal that reflects post-and-lintel architecture.
The pillar is decorated using die-stamped relief across its surfaces. The decorative motifs include striding tigers at the top, racing horsemen on the right column, and reverent officials on the left column. The piece also exhibits repeating geometric patterns, wave-like scroll designs, and beaded borders running vertically along its sides, executed in a muted, earthy ceramic tone.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Historical context
By the first century AD, Chinese tomb construction shifted from rammed-earth walls to durable chambers built with decorated bricks and tiles. These underground spaces were furnished with ceramic models—such as houses, stoves, servants, and animals—to provide comfort in the afterlife.
Physical characteristics
- Material
- earthenware, die-stamped relief
- Dimensions
- Overall: 113.7 x 18.4 cm (44 3/4 x 7 1/4 in.)
Technical characteristics
- Culture recorded
- China, Han dynasty (202 BCE–220 CE)
Identification
- Source note
- Transcribed from the Cleveland Museum of Art collection record for this single object; how far it represents a wider collectible type has not been independently verified.
- Museum object name
- Hollow Tile: Column from Tomb-Chamber Doorway
- Museum object number
- 1915.68
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.