Rain Jars, Wine Jars, TraditionalRain jars Throughout South East Asia, households have traditionally taken advantage of high rainfall to capture water off their roofs. A specialized jar has been manufactured for this purpose for hundreds of years. Rain jars are generally glazed, with a rim to enable a cover or mosquito net to be put over the mouth of the pot. Water would then be ladled out of the jar as needed. We import traditional rain jar covers as well, although usually these are used as drip trays. It is possible to use these pots for the purpose they were originally designed. By drilling a hole in the bottom for a tap, and putting the pot on a raised platform for gravity feed, a fairly expensive, but stunning way of saving water for your garden is possible. Rain jars are generally large, and cylindrical or ovoid in shape to take advantage of ideal surface to volume ratio of a curved body. The narrow mouth enables easy covering. Wine/Vinegar Jars Rice wine brewing is both a home industry, and part of the formal economy, and it's a longstanding tradition in China and across South East Asia. Throughout rural China, wineries produce rice wine in giant glazed earthenware jars. These are covered with a loose-fitting lid to allow fermentation gases to escape. Smaller jars of rice wine are sold to local families. These jars can be seen discarded outside people's homes - like giant ceramic papsaks. Some potteries specialize in making wine jars, as shown here. To read more about exactly how these jars are used in the brewing process, go to: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_alcoholic_beverage#Brewing_the_main_mash We have many more pots with curved shapes, which are not shown on this page, so if you don't see what you want, please ask us for help. Granary Jars We have some stunning examples of traditional ceramic Asian granary jars. Note the double rim, to enable a moat to be created around the mouth of the jar, and prevent ants from entering. |
