Han Dynasty Funery Jar
Painted pottery jars of this form, similar in shape to silkworm cocoons, served as mortuary objects known as mingqi or spirit vessels in early China. They were placed in tombs together with many other funerary vessels, pottery figures and
animals to serve the deceased in the afterlife. They would have been used to store and serve liquid such as ale or water. This example is noteworthy for its well-preserved decoration
of interlacing and swirling clouds painted in coloured pigment. The decoration sought to evoke the heavenly realm of the deceased.
Han Dynasty Funery Jar
Painted pottery jars of this form, similar in shape to silkworm cocoons, served as mortuary objects known as mingqi or spirit vessels in early China. They were placed in tombs together with many other funerary vessels, pottery figures and
animals to serve the deceased in the afterlife. They would have been used to store and serve liquid such as ale or water. This example is noteworthy for its well-preserved decoration
of interlacing and swirling clouds painted in coloured pigment. The decoration sought to evoke the heavenly realm of the deceased.