At the same time, ginger jars are usually painted with traditional native indigo plant-based dyes extracted from the wild. That means beautiful irises are favored to a surprising extent.
But each of them is really more akin to a historical time capsule that has preserved tales from yesteryears. The style factor alone will knock your socks off. Decorated with intricate patterns and vivid colors, ginger jars embody a cultural heritage that’s as rich as a slice of double fudge chocolate layer cake is sweet indeed.
A potter’s hands molding porcelain in the old Chinese manner; the stories of high dynasties that are thought now to be both far-off and near. Even when one of these jars sits quietly on a table thousands of miles away from where it first started out, it still looks unfathomable in its picturesque charm. But why make so much fuss over something that began in tins for spices and herbs? Perhaps each ginger jar is a far more intriguing tale than most people realize.
This was when porcelain started to make its name in the world. During that era, this rich and beautiful material was without equal and nothing could rival it. Later on, under Ming rule, it came into its own as one of China’s major art forms. Jars were no longer plain Joes; they were decorated instead with bold cobalt blue hues and vivid designs. Often the design was a depiction of animals, scenic landscapes or Chinese characters.
Did the Western world first catch sight of these products in the 17 century? It would seem so, as they came into Keelung and Macao via international trade fairs and then found an influential sponsor. The fascinatingly beautiful pieces that these merchants brought back west eventually became fashionable in homes: more than just decoration or a sign of distance–it was proof that you could have small pieces from other countries if desired too. Suddenly having a jar of this caliber was the equivalent to decorating your rooms in gold-leaf wallpaper.
Ginger jars were obviously more than just something that hung around to be looked at. In those days when they were first made, ginger–a necessaryingredient every bit as important for Chinese cuisine as it is today–could be stored in the jars in a normaly. You see, we all think nothing less these days of having a few different kinds Tupperware and then grabbing one for whatever occasion comes up. For the gourmets and chefs in those days, however, this was no trifle. How it must have captivated the humble cans of pepper and put out! it gives one great pleasure to watch a normal requirement, suddenly transformed into extraordinary design.
The design itself, certainly, forms a veritable feast for the eyes: on the one hand, there are many dragons dancing; on the other, cranes, or inlays with florid ribboned patterns suited to long-tailed birds. And the color was not just an item of appearance: within each brushstroke and every shade lay language. This was a written story of multiple layers, like concealed messages written in porcelain.
When circumstances did change, so too did the use and symbolic signification of these storage jars. For one, some were converted into urns for sacred remains, while others were ordained as precious dowry items at weddings–a great departure, but in effect nonetheless. Back from humble container came turned into a sign of wealth and happiness. What transformations a ginger jar can undergo!
How Ginger Jars Became a Home Decor Staple
As a living room basked in warm light, with shelves neatly presented, and in the center an interesting piece a ginger jar–that is, how did these jars come from being a place for spare parts thrown away on kitchen shelves in ancient China?You don’t think that something which used to exist only in the remote dusty corners of kitchens could make an appearance as modern decor, do you? Still, here we are. So, how did these porcelain beauties move from being utensils to objects of luxury? Now let’s tell the story and for you to hear how it all took shape.
This story goes back several centuries, and no surprise there—ginger jars have deep roots. Their brilliant glazes and intricate designs set them apart even then. The Chinese were not content with mere utility; they had a sense of style, too.Without any regret, these charmers went over the borders and into Europe, accompanying merchants and travelers. A bit of Eastern magic was sprinkled in many a Western home thus.
They didn’t just sit quietly on mantels after entering European homesAt that point, these items were anything but silent. No, they were making noise (not the kind made with silverware and china, mind you, but sound in the silent way of being strung out over the room). Europeans were lost in admiration, their homes swathed in an air of exoticism. Before long, these jars found their way into the lives of rich and famous people – doing their duty with elegance in sumptuous parlors, prestigious nooks high up in housesAs time passed, however, the humble jars slowly raised their profile. Once upon a time, picture this: Sally antiques browsing and, amid the dusty relics of long-forgotten memories, she spots it–the elusive ginger jar. The gleam in her eye? Priceless. Encounters such as these have fueled a modern renaissance for what were once mere vessels; now they are so much more.
But what is it about ginger jars that makes them so popular in today’s decor? Some people say it’s their flexibility, others declare it to be their bold designs and bright colorsEach jar, you see, is a canvas of history: garden scenes, mythological creatures–all wrapped up in Bernie Gardiner and Green LeFave-inspired floral symphonies. And let’s face it, there are few people who don’t love having a bit of whispering history around them all the time in their decor.
Can I paint you a picture? A room is being put together, one that marries modern comfort with vintage charms. Enter ginger jars. As centerpieces, or shyly perched on a shelf, they bridge the gap between today’s aesthetic and an old world altogether different. Center stage on a table, it’s either them or nothing at all. Complementing elements, they are stock company members. They add depth and background.
But the real magic lies in their surprisePeople are quite open to using ginger jars as flowerpots, for example. It sounds whimsical, just charmingly daring–and yet it works. The lush greenery against refined white porcelain is an unbelievable sight to behold. It’s a conversation between nature and craft–a rippling dance of form and function.
In keeping with convention, you’d expect to find them in living spacesMaybe to tuck away the chaos of an extravagantly large vase of flowers. And yet they rebel by sneaking into bathrooms, lending nuance to what was once a bland, kaleidoscope-less area. Even in kitchens, where they once stood their ground as useful utensils of loam, they now flourish as ornamental Susans. There’s something poetically cyclical about that, wouldn’t you say?
