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Drainage Tube

Western Han dynasty (206 BCE–9 CE)

Not on view

Qin–Han cities and palaces had sophisticated drainage systems. Large pottery tubes accommodated the water supply and sewage: cylindrical ones for clean water and pentagonal ones for wastewater. The pentagonal shape lent stability when the tubes were stacked. Drainage tubes of this type have been found at Qin sites including the royal palace in Xianyang and structures within the mausoleum of the First Emperor. They continued to be used during the Han dynasty, as exemplified by the present example, found in the mausoleum of Emperor Jing (r. 157–141 B.C.).

Drainage Tube, Earthenware, China — This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

西汉陶五棱水管

Title: Drainage Tube

Period: Western Han dynasty (206 BCE–9 CE)

Culture: China

Medium: Earthenware

Dimensions: H. 15 3/8 in. (39 cm); W. 26 1/2 in. (67.3 cm); D. 15 in. (38.1 cm); Wt. 127.9 lb. (58 kg)

Classification: Ceramics

Credit Line: Lent by Museum of Yangling Mausoleum

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Asian Art at The Met

The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world.