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Tripod Cylindrical Jar (Lian or Zun) with Creatures Amid Hills, Bear-Shaped Feet

A work made of earthenware with lead green glaze.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of earthenware with lead green glaze.

Date:

Eastern Han dynasty (A.D. 25–220)

Artist:

China, probably Shaanxi province

About this artwork

Vessels like this are often called “hill jars” since many have conical covers shaped in rising peaks. “Squatting-bear” feet and monster-mask ring handles are common features. This jar has been mold-impressed in two relief bands depicting hills populated with real and imaginary creatures. Wispy elflike figures are associated with immortals (xian), who were thought to dwell in mountain paradises. Such relief designs provide intriguing evidence of early landscapes painted on more perishable paper and silk.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Arts of Asia

Title

Tripod Cylindrical Jar (Lian or Zun) with Creatures Amid Hills, Bear-Shaped Feet

Place

China (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

25 CE–220 CE

Medium

Earthenware with lead green glaze

Dimensions

18.5 × 24.8 cm ( × 9 3/4 in.); Diam.: 24.8 cm (9 3/4 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of Bertha Palmer Thorne

Reference Number

1972.1261

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.

https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/57678/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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