Short-necked Storage Jar

Description

Early earthenware from the Three Kingdoms period is characterized by the jar's gray hue. Closed kiln chambers built on hillsides, which fired clay as high as 2000°F, maintained a low level of oxygen saturation. The loops on its round shoulder suggest that the jar once had a lid fastened by cords. The function of this type of large jar remains unknown, yet it is highly possibly that it was used to store harvested grains and seeds. The pounding technique (tanal in Korean) used to treat the surface strengthened the clay body.

Provenance

Mrs. Keum Ja Kang, New York, NY; (Kang Collection, New York, NY, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art) (1981–1981); The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (September 18, 1989)

Short-necked Storage Jar

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300s CE

Accession Number

1989.88

Medium

gray earthenware with impressed cord design

Dimensions

Overall: 38 cm (14 15/16 in.); Outer diameter: 36.8 cm (14 1/2 in.)

Classification

Ceramic

Museum

The Cleveland Museum of Art

Cleveland, United States

Credit Line

John L. Severance Fund