Items Similar to Cocoon-shaped earthenware jar with cloud-scroll design, West Han Dynasty
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 5
Cocoon-shaped earthenware jar with cloud-scroll design, West Han Dynasty
About the Item
This yellow handsome jar with excellent condition would have served as a mortuary object (mingqi), placed in a tomb as a substitute for the more valuable bronze and lacquer vessels used in daily life. Along with a variety of other funerary earthenware objects, attendant figures, and animals, richly decorated vessels of this kind were intended to serve the spirit of the deceased in the afterlife.
The silk industry, dating back to the third millennium B.C., was a principal source of wealth for the Chinese economy during the Han dynasty. The distinctive, plump ovoid form of this jar imitates the silkworm’s cocoon. The drifting cloud-scroll (yunwen) motif, which flanks a central vertical panel of diamond-shaped lozenges, is evocative of the celestial realms of a Taoist immortal paradise. During the reign of the Han emperor Wudi (140–87 B.C.), fascination with the idea of the celestial journey and the Taoist search for immortality reached a climax and gave tangible definition to the ethereal decoration of painted earthenware vessels such as this.
Period : West Han dynasty (206 B.C.–A.D. 9)
Type : Earthenware with painted polychrome decoration
Medium : Earthenware
Height : 29.0 cm
Condition : Excellent
Provenance : Acquired in 1999 from Hongkong dealer
Reference : THE MET Accession Number: 1994.605.31
About the Seller
New to 1stDibs
Joined in the past six months.
4.5
Vetted Seller
These experienced sellers undergo a comprehensive evaluation by our team of in-house experts.
Established in 1999
1stDibs seller since 2023
Typical response time: 1 hour
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: seoul, Korea South
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 10 days of delivery.
More From This SellerView All
- Chinese Porcelain Ginger Jar, Qing Dynasty Yongzheng PeriodLocated in seoul, KRA Chinese porcelain ginger jar, Yongzheng period, painted in underglaze blue with lotus blooms and shou(水, meaning 'Water') characters beneath a ruyi border, underglaze blue double r...Category
Antique 1720s Chinese Chinese Export Jars
MaterialsCeramic, Porcelain
- Green-glazed pottery tripod 'hill' jar, Han Dynasty, 206 BC - 220 ADLocated in seoul, KRThe modelled animal figures and landscapes of this piece represent the Daoist ideology of the Han dynasty. The mountain-shaped lid refers to the sacred dwellings of the immortals, th...Category
Antique 15th Century and Earlier Chinese Han Antiquities
MaterialsStoneware
- 'Three Friends Of Winter' Motif Jar, C 1725, Qing Dynasty, Yongzheng EraLocated in seoul, KR"Three Friends of Winter" motif: pine (song), bamboo (zhu), and plum (prunus or mei), which are known for their ability to thrive during the winter months. The pine and plum blossom in cold conditions, while the bamboo remains upright under the weight of snow, collectively representing steadfastness, perseverance, and resilience. This motif became a popular auspicious design by the 17th century, not only in ceramics but also in wood carvings and paintings of the period. An example of this motif can be seen in a saucer-dish from the Qing dynasty, specifically from the Qianlong period (1736-1795). The dish features the "Three Friends of Winter" in underglaze cobalt blue, centered within a medallion. This design reflects a combination of aesthetic beauty and symbolic meaning, illustrating the high level of craftsmanship and cultural significance embodied in Qing dynasty ceramics...Category
Antique 1720s Chinese Qing Jars
MaterialsCeramic
- Green-Glazed Dish, Han DynastyLocated in seoul, KRThis Han Dynasty green-glazed dish exhibits significant signs of wear, indicative of its age and the long passage of time it has witnessed. The glaze, once vibrant, now shows substan...Category
Antique 15th Century and Earlier Chinese Han Antiquities
MaterialsEarthenware
- Milling Shed pottery with Green Glaze, Eastern Han DynastyLocated in seoul, KRMade from the standard orange earthenware body of Han green glazed tomb models, this miniature milling station features a circular millstone and a foot...Category
Antique 15th Century and Earlier Chinese Han Antiquities
MaterialsEarthenware, Pottery
- Green-Glazed Tripod Vessel, Han DynastyLocated in seoul, KRHan Dynasty green-glazed tripods are comparatively rare, especially ones that have retained their structural integrity and glaze over millennia. Pieces in good condition are scarce b...Category
Antique 15th Century and Earlier Chinese Han Antiquities
MaterialsEarthenware
You May Also Like
- Han Dynasty Glazed Hill JarLocated in Dallas, TXHan earthenware celedon glazed hill jar The hill jar represents the five sacred mountains which is the path between the earth and Paradise. The mountains are...Category
Antique 15th Century and Earlier Chinese Han Jars
MaterialsPottery
- Bronze Flute Shaped Han Dynasty Ceremonial VesselLocated in Yonkers, NYA vintage lost-wax bronze Han Dynasty ceremonial wine goblet from the mid 20th century that is the perfect decorative accent piece to add to add to your vintage furniture design for ...Category
Mid-20th Century Han Vases
MaterialsBronze
- Massive Chinese Eastern Han Dynasty Impressed Pottery Jar '25-220 AD'Located in Austin, TXA stunning and massive Chinese high fired gray pottery jar of remarkable size and girth, with impressed geometric design, Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220 AD), ...Category
Antique 15th Century and Earlier Chinese Han Antiquities
MaterialsPottery
- Chinese Green Floral Scrolling Design Ginger Jar VasesLocated in New York, NY3 antique Chinese (Early 20th Century) similar green ginger jars with floral scrolling designs surrounding circular, yellow, centered emblems, unglazed openings, and a hole in the ba...Category
20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Vases
MaterialsPorcelain
- Large Earthenware Lid Jar with Two HandlesLocated in Berlin, BELarge earthenware lid jar with two handles A large earthenware lid jar modelled with two handles in the shape of branches with leaves. ? ? The inside decorated with black glaze....Category
Vintage 1930s European Vases
MaterialsEarthenware
- Antique Chinese Earthenware Jar with Blue CharactersLocated in New York, NYAntique Chinese (early 20th century) small, earthenware jar with blue characters running down the center framed by thin stripes circling the top and base.Category
20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Jars
MaterialsCeramic
