Chinese Han Dynasty Polychrome Cocoon Jar

East Asia, China, Han Dynasty, ca. 206 BCE to 220 CE. A hand-built pottery cocoon jar presenting a traditional egg-shaped, footed form with a flared spout rising from the center of the upper body. The surface is painted with a captivating pattern of swirling, curvilinear, cloud-form motifs in pink, red-orange, and yellow atop a beige ground. Whimsically shaped vessels like this example were perhaps used to store and serve precious liquids such as wine or other fermented beverages. In addition to being emblems of status and wealth, ultimately, these vessels became funerary offerings for the afterlife. Size: 10.4" L x 6.375" W x 9.875" H (26.4 cm x 16.2 cm x 25.1 cm)

Cf. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 1981.466

Provenance: private Vero Beach, Florida, USA collection; ex-private English collection before 2005

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#164419
Condition Report: Chips to a couple areas of rim, with light abrasions to foot, body, and rim, and light fading to scattered areas of pigment. Light earthen deposits and great remains of pigment throughout.