Temple Jar

This simple yet distinctive "General's Hat" jar is 20” tall and finished in a natural white glaze. It is ideal for both modern décors and traditional settings with a colonial or Victorian flavor. It can seem tropical and exotic or become a comfortable part of an eclectic ensemble. ReOrient recently imported a limited quantity. They are available in the store and through our on-line listings.

http://www.amazon.com/White-Chinese-temple-jar-porcelain/dp/B000P1E2RG/ref=sr_1_26/104-1786231-5606324?ie=UTF8&m=A3EB78N3X67MI7&s=home-garden&qid=1178562732&sr=1-26

You can see more temple jar offerings here:

http://reorient.biz/search.htm?keyword=temple+jar

Temple Jars have an elegant shape that lends a sense of levity to your décor. Whether elaborately decorated or finished in a single color glaze, the shape connotes a degree of seriousness. They look both imperial and austere. They are dramatic and can “tease you out of thought,” not unlike the Grecian urn in Keats’ over memorized ode. Placing them on pedestals on either side of a sofa will add drama to a room, placing them in an alcove raises an often ignored space to a level of note and using them as a center piece allows for both leaving it covered with its regal "General's Hat" lid or filling it with a fresh bouquet of flowers. Quite simply it is a great decorator’s item because it casts an air of stateliness and uplifts the significance of the objects which surround it.

The history of temple jars is somewhat misunderstood. That is to say no one seems to have a complete and authoritative answer as to how they were used in antiquity. In Chinese they are often called a "General's Hat" jar because the lid resembles the helmet of a Dynastic military leader. There is reference to this shape in a 1334 AD Chinese text concerning salt production. In modern times, both East and West use this urn shape for cremation remains but the jars have more than ample use outside of such ceremonial purposes. They can truly be considered just a jar, albeit one with a fancy lid. The ancient history of China and the development of porcelain vessels is entirely one of utility. They were used for almost any kind of storage which could include anything from rice to ancestors. People who are concerned about the funerary connotations of temple jars need not worry as this has never been their exclusive use. There is also a similarly shaped vase, produced with out a lid, called a “Ming Jar,” which was clearly intended as a large dry goods storage vessel. Considering the extra expense that producing a lid entails, it is safe to assume that Ming jars and temple jars served a similar purpose in the ancient world, just to different classes of people.