Tripod jar with short, flaring mouth

This vessel stands out from the majority of three-color glazed tripod jars due to the unconventional cool hues of its glaze and its three-lion relief motif. The squat body of this vessel, resting on three hooved legs, is decorated with bluish and yellow patches over a silvery gray ground. Glazed in warm brown and green tones, jars of this type with or without covers, were mold-impressed with two rows of friezes featuring a floral medallion motif, one on the shoulder and a larger one on the belly. This vessel's breadth of spirit combined with the great momentum of its shape was typical of Henan workshops during the High Tang (Li 1989: 50-3).