Red Temple Jar

China has always been a center for trade of all types. On one end of the famous Silk Road, the Chinese traded their precious silk, painstakingly harvested from thousands of silkworms. They traded the silk for horses and precious jade, which was believed to bring good health and long life to those who wore jewelry made of the stone. But the merchants of China did not only trade with the outside world; they also traded within their borders, bringing food, tools, and luxury goods along China's rivers, canals, and roads. In the process, they often grew rich. However, while Chinese merchants were often rich, they were not usually given very high social status. The ancient Chinese ranked merchants lower than nobles, peasants, and craftsmen, believing that merchants were parasites who lived off the work of others and did not produce anything themselves. Yet, as time went on, the government relied more and more on contributions from wealthy merchants to fund public works projects, and the merchants' social status grew. This red temple jar displays a merchant, rowing down the river to take his goods to market, while behind him, cherry blossoms bloom over a stone pagoda. Like all of our porcelain jars, the Red Temple Jar will liven up your home or office decor, and makes a wonderful gidt idea for someone special.