Brooklyn Museum: Asian Art: Storage Jar

11:12 10/11/2009

Always fascinating to see the marks of the craftsman on historic items. And the effects of the heat of the kiln on the clay itself.

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3dmax

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Storage Jar

This massive jar is decorated with three bands of incised animal motifs that relate to decorative patterns on contemporaneous lacquer wares in China, while the wide strap handles on the shoulder evolve from early bronze vessel forms. The jar represents an important phase of ceramic development during the Han dynasty, when Yue ware, a high-fired glazed stoneware, was first produced. Yue (pronounced "yu-eh") is the area in Zhejiang province, in southeast China, where one of the three kingdoms of Wu-Yue (A.D. 222–280) was established. Yue kiln wares were first made exclusively for the Wu-Yue kingdom.

Medium: Proto-Yue ware, stoneware with natural ash glaze
Place Made: China
Dates: 206 B.C.E.-220 C.E.
Dynasty: Han Dynasty
Collections: Asian Art
Museum Location: This item is on view in Asian Galleries, The Arts of China, 2nd Floor
Accession Number: 1996.26.1
Credit Line: Gift of Dr. and Mrs. George J. Fan
Image: Overall, 1996.26.1_transp6058.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph

Catalogue Description: The rounded sides rising to a wide mouth with moulded rim, decorated around the widest part with a band of wavy combed lines, the shoulders applied with two moulded masl form handles and embellished with three triezes of incised birds, fish, mythological animal and geometric design, each band separated by raised ridges, covered on the upper body with a grayish green ash glaze stopping at the waist, the slightly concave bottom fired to an even dark reddish brown color glaze degraded and with some areas of flaking. Condition: Intact; minor superficial scratches across top two bands of decoration; some flaking of glaze; minor adhesions of earth; minor scratches to bottom unglazed half of body

Collections: Asian Art: Storage Jar