A PAINTED CERAMIC OVAID VASE, JIANXINGHU China, Han dynasty style The ovoid body supported by a circular base and surmounted by a cylindrical neck with an expanded mouth, the outside decorated in polychromy with abstract motifs. 26 x 28 cm Provenance: Italian private collection. The shape of this kind of vase is inspired by silkworm cocoons. During the Han dynasty, silk was a very precious material also used as currency of exchange. Containers like this could therefore also be used in rituals related to sericulture.