Glazed Kitchen Jar

A glossy, dark blue glaze clings to the form of this small kitchen jar, sheeting down the sides and lingering on every imperfection. The glazed vessel dates to the early 20th-century and was used for storing food and condiments in a provincial Qing-dynasty kitchen, as evidenced by its interior glaze. The wide-mouth jar has a squat form with rounded shoulders, constrained neck, and slightly flared lip. Contrasted by an unfinished base, the blue-black glaze exhibits a rich range of dark colors and clings to the subtle ridges of the ceramic body to create a pattern of light and dark.