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Chinese Han Dynasty Onion Head
Wine Vessel (221 BC - 220 AD) A gray clay Han Dynasty onion head
wine vessel. Han Dynasty pottery
was made with excellent precision and Han Dynasty designs,
both in clay and bronze, often have simple, modern lines and
shapes. This clay wine vessel is very dypical of the period.
The vessel measures 27 cm. tall by 21 cm. wide.
Qin and Han Dynasty Pottery
Gray
clay hu vessels from the Han Dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE), often
termed "onion head" in Western descriptions due to the
bulbous, rounded neck and flared mouth, represent a common
type of utilitarian ceramic wine container. These were
wheel-thrown from fine gray clay—sometimes tempered with fine
sand—and high-fired for strength, typically left unglazed to
preserve the smooth, matte surface. The form features a
swelling ovoid or baluster body that tapers into a distinctive
flared rim, creating an elegant S-curve profile, with
dimensions often in the range of 20–30 cm in height, as seen
in examples measuring approximately 27 cm tall and 21 cm wide.
Such vessels derive from earlier bronze hu prototypes used for ritual wine storage and serving, but Han pottery versions adapted the shape for everyday and funerary use. They appear frequently in tomb assemblages alongside other grave goods, where wine held social and afterlife significance. The plain gray ware exemplifies Han ceramic production's emphasis on precise wheel-throwing, balanced proportions, and minimal ornamentation, contrasting with the more elaborate bronzes of preceding periods while influencing later ceramic traditions.
References
The
Metropolitan Museum of Art: Covered Jar (Hu), Western Han
dynasty (2nd–1st century BCE), earthenware:
https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/49539
(Another related example: Jar in Shape of Archaic Bronze Vessel (Hu), Eastern Han: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/44419) Harvard Art Museums: Covered jar (hu) with pictorial decoration, Han dynasty, cold-painted earthenware: https://harvardartmuseums.org/collections/object/195610
(Additional
long-necked jar (hu): https://www.harvardartmuseums.org/collections/object/195611)
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