Accession Number1993/1.60
TitleCocoon-shaped Flask
Artist(s)ChineseArtist NationalityChinese (culture or style)Object Creation Date206 BCE-25 CEMedium & Supportearthenware with mineral paintDimensions 10 11/16 in x 12 1/16 in x 8 1/4 in (27.2 cm x 30.6 cm x 21 cm);10 5/8 in x 12 1/16 in x 8 1/4 in (27 cm x 30.6 cm x 21 cm)
Credit LineGift of Domino's Pizza, Inc.Subject matterGray earthenware
jian xing hu (茧形壶) cocoon-shaped jars were made for storing wine, rather millet ale; the form is rarely seen outside of the Qin and Han dynasties. These types of polychrome painted
hu jars were made in northern workshops of the Western Han dynasty (206 BCE-25 CE) as funerary storage vessels to supply for the afterlife. They have been found in the tombs primarily in Shaanxi, Shanxi, Hebei, and Henan provinces. The scrolling cloud design, thought to be an auspicious motif with the power to ward off evil spirits, is the predominant decoration on Han artifacts and can be found in all media. Polychrome painted earthenware ceramics were found primarily in aristocratic and elite tombs.
Physical DescriptionThis gray, horizontal, ovoid-shaped earthenware jar rests on a tall, circular, flaring footring. It has a tall, circular, flaring neck with everted rim. A scrolling cloud motif is painted on the body in vertical bands of red, black and white mineral pigments.
Primary Object Classification Ceramic Primary Object TypejarAdditional Object Classification(s)CeramicCollection AreaAsianRightsIf you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit
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Keywords
ceramic (material)
clouds
earthenware
flask
grave goods
jars
mineral pigment