Jar with Scroll Design

분청사기 상감 당초무늬 호 (粉靑沙器象嵌唐草文壺)

1400s
height: 37.6 cm (14 13/16 in.); Outer diameter: 27 cm (10 5/8 in.)
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Did You Know?

The tiny ear-like handles located around the jar's shoulder allowing string to pass through were used to keep the lid (now missing) tightly closed.

Description

In premodern Korea, a newborn baby’s umbilical cord and placenta were believed to be a symbol of the life force of the fetus and thus kept in a specially arranged burial site. This jar was made exclusively for burying a placenta, a custom practiced by aristocratic families in Korea in the belief that it would bring happiness to the child.
Jar with Scroll Design

Jar with Scroll Design

1400s

Korea, Joseon dynasty (1392–1910)

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