Minneapolis Institute of Art

Funerary jar decorated with deities of the four directions and zodiac figures

China

Date

13th century

Medium

Unglazed stoneware with incised, molded, and appliqué décor

Department

Asian Art

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

Made specifically for the tomb, this unglazed storage jar displays the animals of the four directions (dragon, phoenix, tiger, snake-entwined tortoise) in high relief around the neck. Around the belly appear the 12 animals of the zodiac, standing in correct order: rat, ox, tiger, hare, dragon, snake, horse, ram, monkey, cockerel, dog, and pig. The directional animals are freely modeled while the robed bodies of the zodiac figures are mold-made with attached, freely modeled heads. The jar also contains Buddhist iconography evidenced by the incised lotus petals (a symbol of spiritual purity) around the vessel base, and the elongated lid modeled in the form of a stupa spire. The jar thus merges several important belief systems—yin and yang, Daoism and Buddhism—in its decorative schemes. In the broadest sense, all the emblems are auspicious and as a group connote peace and universal order for the afterlife. China, Asia

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