One LAST tile question (I hope!) -- we've made great progress on our mini renovation (leaving our 1959 aqua bath tile but successfully drilling FIVE new openings in our rock-solid mid-century mud job for spiffy new Grohe fixtures) and things are really looking SO much better ... BUT... I still need to get rid of the old ceramic towel bar that's positioned right over the tub. It intrudes into the already-narrow tub area and now with the new shower, Grohe handshower, etc., it really feels essential to get it out. It clearly broke at one time and was repaired, and I'm sure it's just a matter of time before someone uses it as a grab bar and it breaks again. (See pics below.)

I've read up a bit online and it sounds as if it is probably mounted by means of a post of some kind through the tile itself, but that doesn't mean it can't be removed. However, it might ALSO be surface mounted. One online forum poster suggested using a hair dryer or heat gun to warm the caulk/grout/whatever is there and then try to slide a blade underneath to try to see what's there. Would that work? If it's mounted via a post through the tile job, could I just (gently) whack it with a hammer and break it off?

I don't need to save the tile -- I already have to patch another area with glass mosaic tiles. But I'm getting the sense from tile guys that they don't think it's wise to mess around with this, that I'll be tempting fate and might end up having to replace much of the wall. I'm game to experiment a bit myself to try to see what's what -- but am I opening a HUGE can of worms?? Will I regret poking around behind those mounting posts and/or trying to knock them off?

What would you do? Go for it or leave sleeping towel bars lie? (The towel bar is not only ugly, but I really need that elbow room!)

The first pic is the end that clearly broke at some time (there's a crack that's been glued and it is mounted a bit askew and with a lot of extra whatever-it-is, grout or caulk, around it).

And this is the other end, which doesn't seem to have ever broken, so this is the original mounting. Is there any way to tell if it's surface or post mounted from this pic? (The house was built in 1959.)