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Source Description
This jar still has its original cover, which is rare among surviving examples. Its missing knob most likely had the shape of a lotus bud. Beautifully carved lotus petals cover the vessel’s shoulder and lid under a translucent green glaze. In Buddhism, the lotus is a flower symbolizing purity and detachment from worldly affairs; its presence suggests that this vessel was meant to be used in a religious context. The well-crafted double loop handles may have held a silk cloth or other textile that would have been folded over the lid to keep it in place. This aesthetic prefigures the celebrated green celadons in adjacent regions.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
284742
label
Covered Jar with Carved Lotus Petals
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
284742
contentType
object
title
Covered Jar with Carved Lotus Petals
description
This jar still has its original cover, which is rare among surviving examples. Its missing knob most likely had the shape of a lotus bud. Beautifully carved lotus petals cover the vessel’s shoulder and lid under a translucent green glaze. In Buddhism, the lotus is a flower symbolizing purity and detachment from worldly affairs; its presence suggests that this vessel was meant to be used in a religious context. The well-crafted double loop handles may have held a silk cloth or other textile that would have been folded over the lid to keep it in place. This aesthetic prefigures the celebrated green celadons in adjacent regions.
date
386–581 CE
citation
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q79860177
genreSpecific
Ceramic
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Lid: 2.8 x 14.1 cm (1 1/8 x 5 9/16 in.); vessel only: 21.8 x 24.3 cm (8 9/16 x 9 9/16 in.)
cul
China, Northern Dynasties period (386-581)
accession
2017.16
Source extras
tec
Glazed stoneware
tombstone
Covered Jar with Carved Lotus Petals, 386–581 CE. China, Northern Dynasties period (386-581). Glazed stoneware; lid: 2.8 x 14.1 cm (1 1/8 x 5 9/16 in.); vessel only: 21.8 x 24.3 cm (8 9/16 x 9 9/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Donna and James Reid, 2017.16
collection
China - Northern Dynasties
citations
citation
von Spee, Clarissa. "Acquisition Highlights: Asian Art.” <em>Cleveland Art: Cleveland Museum of Art Members Magazine</em> 58. no. 2 (March/April 2018): 10–11.
page_number
Reproduced and Mentioned: p. 10
creditline
Gift of Donna and James Reid
updatedAt
2026-05-29 08:51:37.497000
sourceId
284742
dept
Chinese Art
coll
China - Northern Dynasties
med
Glazed stoneware
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
b600fc13e9963816