Cleveland Museum of Art

Covered Jar with Carved Lotus Petals

Date

386–581 CE

Medium

Glazed stoneware

Culture

China, Northern Dynasties period (386-581)

Department

Chinese Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

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.

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