The Cleveland Museum of Art
Collection Online as of July 8, 2025
Bird-shaped Urn
2650–2350 BCE
Overall: 26.7 x 31.1 x 27.9 cm (10 1/2 x 12 1/4 x 11 in.)
Location: 241A Arts of Ancient China
Did You Know?
This abstract vessel may be imagined as a bird with feathers painted on the body.Description
An imaginative shape and abstract curvilinear patterns lend delightful charm to this functional jar. Its fine-grained body has a light reddish color due to the iron content in the clay, achieved by ensuring abundant air in the kiln during the firing. The surfaces were burnished before applying the painted decoration in black and red.- “Art of Asia Acquired by North American Museums, 2006-2008.” Archives of Asian Art, vol. 59, 2009, pp. 135–180. Reproduced: fig. 9, p. 143 www.jstor.org
- {{cite web|title=Bird-shaped Urn|url=false|author=|year=2650–2350 BCE|access-date=08 July 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}
Source URL:
https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2007.276