Currently not on view
Pair of dragon and tiger funerary storage jars
2019-287.1-.2
Pairs of vessels similar to these dating from the tenth century have been found in tombs in southern China. The decoration on these two jars relates to common Chinese concepts of space and time. The high-relief sculpted dragon that winds around the right jar and the tiger on the left one represent two of the four guardians of the cardinal directions—the Green Dragon of the East and the White Tiger of the West, respectively. Atop each jar are birds thought to be cranes of immortality that convey the soul of the deceased to a heavenly abode. Likely containers for
grain, the jars would have been placed at opposite sides of the burial chamber, usually in the east and west corners.
grain, the jars would have been placed at opposite sides of the burial chamber, usually in the east and west corners.
Information
Object Number
2019-287.1-.2
Medium
Porcelain with relief decoration and underglaze brown painted floral designs
Dimensions
Vessel 1: h. 31 × diam. 16 cm (12 3/16 × 6 5/16 in.)
Vessel 2: h. 32 × diam. 16.5 cm (12 5/8 × 6 1/2 in.)
Culture
Chinese
Credit Line
Gift of Richard and Ruth Dickes
Place Made
Asia, China, Fujian Province
Type
Subject
Materials
porcelain
Description
Pair of covered jars with birds finials on top of circular lids with six ridges. A long neck rises from the globular body and widens at the top to accept the lid. Encircling the shoulder of the each vessel is a piecrust-like twisted band and relief figures. The Tiger jar has a prone figure, tiger, chicken, dog and another small figure. The Dragon jar has a prone figure, dragon, and a snake-like creature in front of the dragon’s head. Below the twisted bands, floral motifs are painted on the plain surface. The exterior of the body and lid of each vessel is covered in the light green transparent glaze. At the bottom of each jar is a shallow foot ring. Similar examples of this type with similar relief and painting decoration have been found in Fujian province.
– Flores & Iva (New York, NY), sold to Richard and Ruth Dickes (Morristown, NJ).<br> –2019 Richard and Ruth Dickes (Morristown, NJ), by gift to the Princeton University Art Museum, 2019.
