Antique vase "Kong". Made of ceramics using celadon glaze technique. Japan, 20th century.

The name of vases of this shape goes back to the archaic word "cong" or "chong" (琮), meaning "rectangular jade ritual vessel with a round neck". It is believed that the original form of the Kong vase as a ritual vessel dates back at least to the Neolithic period (the period from about 10,000 to 2000 BC in China).

When the rulers of the Southern Song were forced to move south due to invasion from the north, their new location was located near the southern kilns of Longquan. Here, the imperial court appreciated the unusual shape of the vases, which contributed to the development of ceramic art.