Storage Jar. North China; Sui period (589 - 618). Earthenware with applied design under lead glaze. H. 42.2 cm; D. 34.3 cm. Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection of Asian Art. 1979.127 © Asia Society Museum 

This large earthenware storage jar is partially covered with a green-colored lead glaze. The animal masks affixed to the sides represent a traditional Chinese motif that can be traced back to the Shang and Zhou dynasties. The floral medallions, on the other hand, provide evidence of the interest in Central Asian decoration that is found in the ceramics produced in northeastern China during the 6th century C.E.; the use of relatively large applied decorations is also attributed to that source. The 6th-century interest in Central Asian decorative motifs was in part the result of the political and economic ties between the different kingdoms in China and the various peoples of Central Asia.