China - Covered Funerary Jar With Lotus Decoration - Lianhua Fun - Late Sui / Early Tang

Lid-covered funerary jar with lotus decoration (Lianhua zun) China - Sui Dynasty (581–618) / early Tang Dynasty (618–907) This jar embodies the stylistic transition from the austerity of the Northern Dynasties to the naturalistic flourishing of the early Tang era. The ovoid body is encircled by a double row of lotus petals modeled in high relief, pointing proudly toward the sky. These fleshy, almost architectural forms lend the object an upward momentum. The surface, deeply marked by time, bears witness to long centuries of burial: an orange, sedimentary oxidation crust clings intimately to the recesses of the reliefs. The lid is topped by a knob shaped like a closed lotus bud, around which radiates a solar or star-shaped motif incised with a fine point, punctuated by small, regular circular impressions. This geometric decoration evokes the purity of the earliest Xiangzhou ceramics. On the reverse, the flat, unglazed base reveals the very nature of the terracotta used. The lotus, the ultimate symbol of Buddhist purity rising from the mud, reached its decorative peak during the Sui Dynasty, serving as a ritual offering or a receptacle for ashes in ceremonial tombs.
Origin: China
Period: Late Sui Dynasty / Early Tang Dynasty.
Dimensions: Height: 27 cm - Diameter: 20 cm.
Condition: Very good condition.
Provenance: Private Belgian collection.