A rare Yue celadon chicken-head ewer, Western Jin dynasty 西晉 越窰青釉雞首壺

Chicken-head ewers are perhaps the most distinctive and representative ceramic vessels of the tumultuous, yet innovative period between the Han (206 BC to AD 220) and Tang dynasties (618-907). Production began in the Jin dynasty (265-420) by the southern Yue kilns of Zhejiang province, but was soon copied by other southern manufactories and later adopted by northern celadon kilns.

The wide use of such ceramics, including the tombs of emperors, reflects the auspicious symbolism of the chicken motif. Chickens were believed to have the power to exorcise evils, cure diseases and have other beneficent effects. Images of chickens were therefore painted and real chickens or replicas in cast metal or carved wood were hung on front doors. 

A similar ewer was unearthed at Lianyungang, Jiangsu province, and is illustrated in Historical Relics Unearthed in New China, Beijing, 1872, pl. 141.

從漢至唐，陶瓷發展蓬勃，多有新品，當中雞首壺之類尤為出眾，自晉朝浙江越窰始燒，從南至北，各窰相繼仿製，盛極一時。此壺雞首細緻，乃同類器中之佳例。

雞，傳有助驅邪治病，是為祥瑞之禽，因此雞首壺常見於帝王陵寢等墓葬，雞圖又見於墓室壁畫，門上且懸真雞，或以金屬、木雕寶雞代之。

寧波餘姚出土一雞首壺，尺寸略大，可資參照，圖見《上海博物館藏品研究大系》，卷4，2000年，圖版182；另比一例，售於倫敦蘇富比1983年6月21日，編號168；第三例，屬葉義醫生收藏，售於香港蘇富比1984年11月19日，編號150。另存尺寸不一之雞首壺六例，手柄未見裝飾，錄於《越州窯動物図鑑展》，浦上蒼穹堂，東京，1992年，編號84-89。

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1973.84