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Feb 21, 2020
Feb 21, 2020
Feb 21, 2020
Pair of Owl-shaped Jars
Pair of Owl-shaped Jars
206 BCE–9 CE
Part of a set. See all set records
China, Henan province, Western Han dynasty
(206 BC–AD 9)
Amber-brown glazed low-fired pottery
Overall: 19 x 13.8 x 11.8 cm (7 1/2 x 5 7/16 x 4 5/8 in.)
Nancy F. and Joseph P. Keithley Collection Gift 2020.178
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Each jar cover is modeled in the shape of an owl's head.
Description
Pottery vessels in the shape of owls were made since Neolithic times and throughout the Bronze age. These jars in the form of vigilant owls may have provided a tomb occupant with grain in the afterlife. However, the meaning of these mysterious birds and the association of the owl motif with burial sites in China is not fully understood.
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