White Porcelain Placenta Jars and Stone Placenta Tablet

This white porcelain placenta jar from the Joseon Dynasty consists of an outer jar with total height of 30.9 cm, mouth diameter of 21.4 cm, and bottom diameter of 14.1 cm as well as the inner jar whose total height is 19.2 cm, mouth diameter is 10.6 cm, and bottom diameter is 8.3 cm. The stone tablet bearing birth information and which was buried along with the placenta jar measures 26.6 cm by 26.7 cm by 4.6 cm. A placenta jar was used for holding the placenta of a prince or a princess. A stone tablet containing information on the name and birth date of the newborn baby was also buried along with the jar. The mouth of the outer jar is wide and is opened outward. The jar has a short neck and a body that gradually narrows toward the base. Four loops are attached to the shoulder of the jar and can be connected to the four holes on the knob attached to the lid - which looks like that of a cooking pot - for fastening the jar. The entire surface of the jar is evenly coated with white glaze, making the jar look glossy. The inner jar has almost the same shape as that of the outer one, but slightly smaller. The stone tablet is made of square-shaped black stone. The inscriptions on the front and back sides of the tablet state that the jar was made in 1643, that it contains the placenta of Prince Aji, who was born in 1639, and that it was buried in 1643.