Taoyuan Wine-jar Lids: Embodiments of Art and Culture

There are some common traits that most Chinese folk decorative artifacts share: first, they signify good luck and fortune; second, they feature balance in their artistic designs, to show harmony. Decorations on Taoyuan wine-jar lids are not exceptions to this rule.

Taoyuan wine-jar lids are made of the camphorwood of southern China, which is not only fragrant but also resistant to damage by worms. While they are mostly round and dome-shaped so as to match the shape of wine jars, Taoyuan wine-jar lids are sometimes also hexagonal, octagonal, or even square.

Taoyuan wine-jar lids were usually painted with lacquer of red, brown, yellow, green, black and golden colors. A red wine-jar lid with golden decorative lines and patterns signifies wealth. Creating a sharp visual contrast with a green glozed pottery wine jar, such a lid is typically Chinese in regards to its color.

Page:

1

2

3

4

5

All rights reserved. Reproduction of text for non-commercial purposes is permitted provided that both the source and author are acknowledged and a notifying email is sent to us.