Granary Jar

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Granary Jar

Place of OriginChina

Date25 CE- 220 CE

DimensionsH (with lid): 13 in. (33 cm); W: 8 1/2 in. (21.6 cm)

MediumEarthenware with celadon glaze.

ClassificationCeramics

Credit LineGift of the Popplestone Family

Object number

2006.136

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Label TextThis tall, hollow vessel takes the form of a multi-story granary raised on three sturdy feet. The cylindrical body is encircled by horizontal ridges suggesting timber or reed construction, while the domed lid is modeled as a two-tiered tiled roof with projecting eaves. Such models, known as mingqi (“spirit articles”), were made for tombs to provide for the deceased in the afterlife. Granaries were a common component of Han funerary assemblages and symbolized wealth, sustenance, and continuity. Ceramic examples of similar form have been found throughout northern and central China, often accompanied by model houses, wells, and watchtowers that together represented a self-sufficient estate for the spirit world.