Grain jar
ca. -0206 - ca. 220
Medium
terracotta (clay material)
Dimensions
21.3; 35
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
height 35 cm x diameter 21.3 cm
Art Historical Context
This unassuming terracotta grain jar, crafted anonymously around 206 BCE to 220 CE, hails from China's Han Dynasty—a pivotal era of imperial expansion, agricultural innovation, and cultural flourishing. Standing at 35 cm tall and 21.3 cm in diameter, it served a vital practical purpose: storing precious grains like millet or rice, essential staples in ancient Chinese households and farms. Such jars were everyday heroes, helping families manage food security in a society where farming underpinned the empire's prosperity. Terracotta, a durable fired clay, was the medium of choice for Han potter...
About the Artist
anonymous
In the vast tapestry of art history, "Anonymous" stands not as a singular individual but as a collective designation for countless unidentified creators whose works have endured across millennia. These artists, spanning prehistoric cave painters to medieval illuminators and folk craftsmen, produced the foundational layers of human visual culture. Prior to the Renaissance, when individual fame emer...