Double Steamed Wine Jar

This early 20th-century ceramic jar is formed in a traditional shape meant for storing wine and spirits made from rice and grains. Known as cheng, these jars are defined by having a wide body with dramatically restricted neck and base, and were also used to store vinegar, oil, or condiments. The jar has a wonderfully balanced, oblong form accentuated by an all-over dark brown glaze. The product and maker's name is written in wax resist near the top, identifying the contents as double steamed wine from Jiujiang in Guangdong province.