Funerary jar with sculpted dragon

Zhejiang grain jars decorated with dragon sculptures had served as funeral objects since the Han dynasty. This style, with dragons placed around the neck of the jar, spread rapidly from north of Zhejiang (CGK Zenshu 1981 vol. 4: 136-140) southward during the Tang dynasty. At wuzhou kilns, craftsmen placed the dragon on top of an appliquéd cord band on the vessel's upper portion (Gong 1988: pl. 5), a form which became a model for other kilns in the south. Such jars continued to be made for centuries in Jiangxi, Fujian, Guangxi, and Guangdong, and were even exported to the Southeast Asia until the Ming dynasty. This jar has a dish-shaped mouth and flaring neck over a rounded shoulder.