Gate pillar

Gate pillars, or que, alone or in pairs, formed the side columns of gateways in Han period architecture. The uppermost platform served as a watchtower and the lower foundation was used as a public notice board. The two columns with overhanging roofs are molded with representations of a phoenix and a guard. Based on Chinese architectural principles, que open to the south and always carry the image of the phoenix, the symbol of the southern deity. Such que must have been a significant symbol for the entrance of the deceased into heaven. This pair of gate pillars is remarkable as the only known set in lead-glazed earthenware.