Blue and White Chrysanthemum Baluster Jar

Chinese porcelain jars were initially used to ship and store ginger and other spices. Later porcelain in these forms became popular as pure luxury items. This early 20th-century baluster jar is a great example: its rounded body, high shoulders, and domed lid were all carefully crafted by Qing Dynasty artisans and then painted by hand with loosely rendered chrysanthemums.