Tapered Kitchen Jar

A speckled, dark brown glaze coats the gently tapered form of this late 20th-century kitchen jar. As evidenced by the glazed interior, the jar was once used daily in a Qing-dynasty kitchen for fermenting foods and condiments. The wide-mouth jar stands tall upon a slightly flared base and is flanked by two small strap handles. Thinning just short of the base, the glaze has a thick, opaque finish and is smooth to the touch, textured only slightly by the banded surface of the ceramic form. The dripped nature of the glaze results in an eye-catching color contrast, providing a certain depth to the textures and colors of the jar.