Storage Jar

About 6th century

Korea

Stoneware with areas of ash glaze

H. 15 3/4 x Diam. 16 1/2 in. (40 x 41.9 cm)

Asia Society, New York: Gift of Ambassador and Mrs. Richard L. Sneider, 1981.2

Provenance

Collection of Mr. & Mrs. Richard L. Sneider, New York, NY; acquired in Busan (Pusan), Korea, 1974 or early 1975, by repute.

The Asia Society, New York, NY, gift of Mr. & Mrs. Richard L. Sneider, 1981.

Licensing inquiries

The generous, globular form of this large jar is not only practical but also aesthetically appealing. The body is left undecorated, which is unusual for pottery from this period, which often has incised or cutaway designs of geometric shapes. Although the large shape of this jar suggests it may have been used as a storage jar, it may just as likely have been a burial object. Indeed, during the Three Kingdoms period, pottery played an important role as part of the broader paraphernalia of tomb goods -- often including jewelry or objects made of precious metal, like gold or gilt bronze -- accompanying the deceased. Such well-equipped earthen mound tombs, of course, were for the most part limited to the social elite.