A POTTERY TOMB PILASTER Han Dynasty Impressed with repeat registers of foliate and geometric designs to the column front and three repeated panels of guardian figures to each of the two flat side faces, with apertures for assembly at the top and bottom. 70.5cm high (27 3/4in) high Footnotes: 漢 陶壁柱 Exhibited: at the Klagenfurt Museum, Austria, circa 2005. Provenance: Sze Yuan Tang, A.J. Hardy Collection no. CP47 (label). Stoneware pillars such as the current lot formed part of the entrance construction to a tomb chamber. The combination of decorative subject matter reflected a dualistic view of the human soul: separating at death, one part of the soul was thought to remain in the earthly tomb, while the other ascended to a paradise—the realm of ancestral spirits and of the special beings who have achieved immortality. Please note this lot will be viewable by appointment only at our Oxford storage facility prior to the sale. Please contact the department for further details. This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: TP TP For auctions held in Scotland: Lots will be moved to an offsite storage location (Constantine, Constantine House, North Caldeen Road, Coatbridge ML5 4EF, Scotland, UK) and will only be available for collection from this location at the date stated in the catalogue. Please refer to the catalogue for further information. For all other auctions: Lots will be moved to an offsite storage location (Cadogan Tate, Auction House Services, 241 Acton Lane, London NW10 7NP, UK) and will only be available for collection from this location at the date stated in the catalogue. Please note transfer and storage charges will apply to any lots not collected after 14 calendar days from the auction date. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing