Elegant and classic pieces, ceramic and ginger jars date back to the dynasties of China. Ginger jars first came about during the Qin Dynasty of about 200 BC, when traders would fill gorgeous colorful Chinese jars with sought-after ginger spices and haul them together back to the west. Those within the Qin Dynasty used the jars to store wine and spices. The first jars came in a rainbow of colors of patterns, and the blue and white pattern would emerge during the Yuan Dynasty of 1271–1368AD. Historically, blue and white jars symbolized happiness within the Yuan Dynasty, which also marked a period of a cultural renaissance in China. In addition to gorgeous blue and white ceramics, the also developed drama, novel writing, scientific education, new crops, and new ideas.
Now, 800 years later, these jars are timeless pieces of décor that will never go out of style.
These porcelain pieces have characteristics beyond just the color. Pieces with blue floral designs never fade and are healthy for the body (and the mind)! Some pieces with Chinese symbols on them are representative of prosperity and happiness, which goes beyond the beauty they behold. Find the motif on some of our lamps, too.
All of our blue and whites are versatile pieces. On side tables in bedrooms, in bookcases as decor, and on dining tables for added attraction, one can’t go wrong with a classic and everlasting ginger jar.
Use it as a vase! Try filling your jar with hydrangeas, forsythia branches, peonies, or tree limbs for a beautiful added bit of the outdoors.
As far as using these to store wine? Well, we’ll leave that tradition to the ancients!
