Antique 13/14th Century Chinese Ceramic Mercury Jar Cizao Kilns Fujian

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Condition Report: Just some ware and possible a small chip to base rim, could also be a firing flaw. Size: 17CM high approx.

Sharing with you this very nicely shaped Chinese ceramic Mercury Jar from the 14th century.

This vessel belongs to the well-documented category of Chinese “mercury jars” from the Song–Yuan dynasty period (11th–14th century). Scholarly research identifies these jars as products of the Cizao kiln complex in Fujian, China, widely exported through maritime trade routes and excavated at high-status sites such as Fort Canning, Singapore. Their distinctive form—narrow mouth, broad shoulders, and thick base—was engineered for transporting liquids. While traditionally associated with mercury, academic consensus increasingly supports their use in the storage and transport of grain wine, linking them to elite consumption and long-distance trade. These jars are considered utilitarian trade wares with strong archaeological parallels, valued today for their role in early Asian maritime commerce and social history

Here is a link to an interesting article about the kind of jars:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2352226716300101

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