Bird-shaped Urn
Unknown Artist
2650–2350 BCE
Medium
earthenware with slip-painted decoration
Dimensions
26.7 × 31.1 × 27.9 cm
Classification
Ceramic
Department
Chinese Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Gift of Dr. Norman Zaworski in honor of Dr. Ju-hsi Chou
Accession Number
2007.276
About this artwork
An imaginative shape and abstract curvilinear patterns lend delightful charm to this functional jar. Its fine-grained body has a light reddish color due to the iron content in the clay, achieved by ensuring abundant air in the kiln during the firing. The surfaces were burnished before applying the painted decoration in black and red.