7 Uses For Chinese Ginger Jars

February 17, 2025

With a rich history and expert craftsmanship, Chinese ginger jars embody timeless charm and refinement, making them lovely additions to the modern home.

There are so many ways to use and display ginger jars in your interiors, paying homage to their origins and stunning high quality.

What is a Chinese Ginger Jar?

Ginger jars are particularly recognisable ceramic Chinese pots originating from the Qin dynasty (221 - 206 BCE). Nowadays, blue and white porcelain ginger jars tend to be the most common and popular varieties, although other designs such as Famille Rose are available too.

Typical Chinese ginger jars have a round, squat shape, usually with a flat lid – although, again, you may come across other variations with slightly different silhouettes. The patterns on the jars hold significant symbolic meaning.

In China, ginger jars are simply known as ‘guan’, which translates to ‘jar’.

What Were Chinese Ginger Jars Used For?

Originally, jars like this were used to store and transport spices, salts and herbs. As ginger started being exported to Europe in the late 18th century and became an increasingly important product, the jars were given the moniker ‘ginger jar’ in the West.

Owing to their beautiful, intricate designs, the jars soon came to be appreciated more for their stunning aesthetics rather than solely for their functionality. European collectors started displaying ginger jars as symbols of wealth, luxury and sophistication.

Today, Chinese ginger jars provide wonderfully elegant additions to the home, allowing you to embrace traditional Chinese patterns, motifs and craftsmanship.

Chinese ginger jar used as flower vases and decorations

How to Use Chinese Ginger Jars in Your Home

Rather than using them to hold ginger and other spices (although you can certainly still do this!), most people tend to use ginger jars for decorative purposes.

Ultimately, the timeless versatility of these jars means there are plenty of ways for you to get creative when styling them and using them in your home.

1. Elegant Flower Vases

One of the easiest and most classic ways to use Chinese ginger jars is for displaying flowers and other plants. Even simple arrangements will deliver high-impact visuals, which is great for making a statement in entryways, living rooms or dining rooms.

Ginger jar vases can be used throughout the home to bring colour and vibrancy to your spaces. Whether using real or faux flowers, you’ll also have a great opportunity to switch things up during different seasons.

Chinese ginger jar flower vase holding yellow flowers

2. Unique Lamp Bases

One unique way to use ginger jars is to transform them into lamp bases. Some are sold already converted, or you can alter a particular jar yourself if you feel confident doing so.

Lamp bases with elaborate Chinese patterns provide a sumptuous addition to your side tables, blending form and function perfectly. See our full range of oriental table lamps to see how various Chinese porcelain pieces have been refurnished as stunning lamp bases.

3. Bookshelf Accessories

For a dynamic, well-balanced look, add a selection of ginger jars to your bookshelves. They’re perfect for bringing different shapes and silhouettes to your shelf displays, giving them that expertly styled look.

Mix and match different patterns and sizes for an eclectic yet elegant feel. They can also be good for storing random small trinkets or items that you don’t want on display but still want to keep together in one place.

Chinese ginger jars and other pots displayed on a bookshelf

4. Making a Statement With Symmetry

Another very popular way to decorate with ginger jars is to pair them up. A display of two jars framing a mantlepiece or sideboard adds effortless symmetry and a sense of harmony to a room.

Pairing two matching jars, whether alone or alongside other pairs of decor items, is great for creating order and balance. It can also serve to highlight particular elements, like if you display them on either side of a fireplace or piece of art for instance.

5. Eye-catching Centrepieces

If you have a particularly eye-catching or favoured piece, why not put it centre-stage and create a central focal point? Ginger jars are ideal if you want to jazz up your table settings for special occasions or just give your dining table a bit more visual interest.

They can also work well in this way when styled on entryway tables or hallway sideboards, bringing that wow factor to underutilised areas.

A blue and white Chinese ginger jar used as a flower vase on a sideboard table

6. Practical Kitchen Accessories

There’s nothing to stop you from using Chinese ginger jars more akin to how they were originally used. When styled in the kitchen they can work as both a stylish decorative element and a practical storage solution.

They’re great for holding things like tea bags or coffee pods, and because of their effortless grace and sophistication, you won’t feel like they’re cluttering up kitchen surfaces. Grouping a few accessories with a statement ginger jar on your kitchen island can be a lovely way to bring a bit of colour and visual texture into the space.

7. Pleasing Vignettes

Grouping decorative items on a tray to display on coffee tables, side tables or sideboards is another tried and tested way to show off your favourite pieces in a very intentional way.

Combining a few ginger jars with other Chinese porcelain pieces and complementary decorations or books creates a pleasing vignette that adds interest to a space without overwhelming it.

Collection Chinese ginger jars, one holding pink tulip flowers

Our reproduction Chinese porcelain is made in Jingdezhen, which has been the capital of Chinese porcelain production for centuries, with each piece hand-painted by skilled artisans who use traditional techniques.

To find out more about embracing different decorative pieces in your home, see our top tips on how to decorate with Chinese blue and white porcelain.