Short-necked Storage Jar
Unknown Artist
300s CE
Medium
gray earthenware with impressed cord design
Dimensions
h. 38 cm · outer diameter 36.8 cm
Classification
Ceramic
Department
Korean Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
John L. Severance Fund
Accession Number
1989.88
About this artwork
Early earthenware from the Three Kingdoms period is characterized by the jar's gray hue. Closed kiln chambers built on hillsides, which fired clay as high as 2000°F, maintained a low level of oxygen saturation. The loops on its round shoulder suggest that the jar once had a lid fastened by cords. The function of this type of large jar remains unknown, yet it is highly possibly that it was used to store harvested grains and seeds. The pounding technique (tanal in Korean) used to treat the surface...