Antique vase. Made of porcelain, the body and lid are decorated with painting. This form of vase is singled out by art historians as a separate sub-type of vases with the conventional name "temple vessel". Japan, end of XIX century.

The temple jar has a characteristic pear-shaped form and a high domed lid with a stylized handle on top. In this case, the top of the lid is decorated in the form of a sculpture of a Fo dog. Scientists claim that the shape of the temple jar arose during the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC) and was used for religious purposes in temple ceremonies. Vases of such shapes can be found both in China, where they appeared, and in Japan. In the 1800s, they became very popular, they were made of porcelain and exported to European markets as purely decorative items.