Straw Jar

This is a straw pot used to store grains. The straw used for this pot is first beaten into a smooth texture then twisted into strings. Using these strings, the pot was woven in a sophisticated double layer along with the lid, and was used to store crops after a harvest. Typically, the jar was made of straw only, but also occasionally made using hemp, sedge fiber, ramie skin, kudzu skin, or bush clover skin to highlight a woven motif or additional colors for decorative purposes. A straw pot generally consists of a lid and a body. The lid has an outer rim and a loop handle in the center. The body is double-layered, and has a short neck and a shoulder that begins just below the mouth. The body is bulkiest at the shoulder, and narrows down toward the base. This kind of straw pot was not widely used, despite its advantages in aiding ventilation and preventing humidity, which are beneficial for the long-term storage of grains.