Funerary Offering Jar, 1000-500 BCE
Unknown artist, Thailandexpand_more
Slip coated earthenware with burnished surfaceexpand_more
The Helen Jones Fund for Asian Artexpand_more 2000.82.2
On View in Gallery 213expand_more
In the late 1960s, a hoard of pots was unearthed at the village of Ban Chiang, on the Khorat Plateau in northeast Thailand. It yielded a complex, innovative ceramic tradition that transformed scholars’ understanding of early Southeast Asian history. Although much remains unknown about the Ban Chiang culture (c. 3000 BCE–400 CE), archaeology has revealed that it cultivated advanced traditions of metallurgy, agriculture, burial practices, and art.
An excavation at Ban Lum Khao in 1995–96 uncovered over 100 burial tombs, where trumpet-rimmed vessels, fashioned from black clay and finished with a red slip (a mixture of clay and water, used to protect and decorate the ceramic), were found placed near the head and feet of the deceased. These elegant vessels likely held grave offerings to ensure the ancestor a rich afterlife.
Details
- Title
- Funerary Offering Jar
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- 2000.82.2
- Curator Approved
This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.
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