국립중앙박물관 NATIONAL MUSEUM OF KOREA

Highlights
Perforated Pottery Jar with Deer-shaped Figurines
  • Exhibition Name

    Jar with Hole and Deer-shaped Figurines

  • Nationality/Period

    Three Kingdoms Period

  • Materials

    Clay - Hard

  • Category

    Food - Tableware - Storage Carriage - Jar

  • Dimensions

    H. 16.1cm

  • Accession Number

    Deoksu 2440

  • Location

    Gaya Confederacy

This jar has a globular body with a round base, a wide mouth, and a funnel-shaped neck, but its most notable feature is the two tiny deer figurines attached to the shoulders. The deer figurines are expressed in a realistic style, which is extraordinarily rare; in fact, no other similar examples have yet been identified. Communities in northern Asia worshipped deer as sacred animals, which is why deer often appear in various cultural contexts, such as in deer stones (ancient Mongolian monoliths, often carved with deer symbols) and as crown ornaments.