Few decorative objects have been in fashion as long as the ginger jar, and few are as easy to get wrong. One blue-and-white jar on a console looks collected; six of them lined up with matching lamps look like a showroom from another decade. Good ginger jar decor depends less on the jar than on what surrounds it: scale, whether it stands alone or in a pair, and how many modern and natural pieces sit beside it.
Ginger jar decor means using the lidded, round-shouldered jar that originated in Chinese porcelain as a decorative accent, usually on a mantel, console, sideboard or bookcase. The jar works as a single off-center accent or as a symmetrical pair, and it keeps a room current when it is mixed with plain textiles, natural wood and at least one clearly modern piece instead of a matching set.
What a Ginger Jar Is and Where the Name Comes From
A ginger jar is a lidded jar with a rounded, high-shouldered body, a short neck and a domed cover. The classic examples are Chinese porcelain painted in cobalt blue under the glaze, many of them made at the Jingdezhen kilns during the reign of the Kangxi Emperor (1662–1722).
The name is a European one, and it may be more romantic than accurate. The V&A’s catalogue entry for a Kangxi-period lidded jar with plum blossom on cracked ice explains that the form became particularly popular in Europe in the 18th and 19th centuries, where it was generally known as a ginger jar, and adds that it cannot be proved the jars were containers for ginger when they were shipped from China. In China such a vessel is simply a lidded jar. The decoration on that example, prunus blossom against a crackled blue ground, may signal that it was intended as a New Year gift.
Porcelain reached Europe as part of a much larger trade. The Met’s essay on Chinese export porcelain describes how Chinese potters were producing pieces specifically for Western buyers by the early 16th century, how porcelain was often packed at the bottom of trading ships as ballast beneath the tea, and how blue decoration painted under the glaze dominated the export trade until the end of the 17th century. European potteries later developed blue-and-white wares of their own, which is why the look turns up in European ceramics as well as Chinese ones.
Why Blue and White Keeps Coming Back
The V&A’s overview of Chinese blue-and-white ceramics traces the palette from cobalt painted on a white body under the glaze to a series of European enthusiasms, including the “Chinamania” that took hold in Britain in the 1850s and 1860s; by the late 19th century, sideboards and cabinets were being designed specifically to display it. The article credits part of its appeal to the color combination itself, which mirrors the blue and white of the sky and brightened dark Victorian interiors.
That explains why the jar survives changes of style. Blue and white is a high-contrast palette that reads clearly from across a room, the round form softens straight-lined furniture, and the lid gives the jar a finished silhouette that an open vase lacks. It also explains the risk: an object with this much history easily turns a room into a period set if everything around it is from the same period.
Pairs or Singles: Choosing the Arrangement
Pairs are the traditional way to display ginger jars. The V&A article mentions a large jar made as part of a garniture, a set of vessels meant to stand on top of a piece of furniture or a mantelpiece in a European home. Symmetry still works where the architecture is symmetrical, and a single jar works almost everywhere else.
- A pair suits the two ends of a mantel, either side of a mirror or painting, or the two ends of a sideboard. The jars should match in size, even if the patterns differ slightly.
- A single jar suits a console, a bookcase or a side table. Place it off-center and balance it with something of a different shape at the other end, such as a lamp or a stack of books.
- A trio in three heights suits a long sideboard or a deep mantel. Keep one color family and vary the heights by at least 5–8 cm (2–3 in) so that the group reads as deliberate.
- A mixed group of one lidded jar with an open vase and a bowl in the same palette looks more relaxed than three jars, and is the easiest way to use a jar in a modern room.
Whatever the arrangement, give the jars space. A ginger jar needs clear surface around it to show its outline; crowded between frames and candles it becomes clutter.
Scale: Match the Jar to the Surface
Ginger jars are made in every size from a hand’s height to floor-standing, and a common mistake is a jar too small for its surface. The rules of thumb below are starting points, not fixed measurements.
| Surface | Jar height | Arrangement that works |
|---|---|---|
| Bookcase shelf | 15–25 cm (6–10 in), leaving a hand’s width of headroom | One jar per shelf section, with books lying flat beside it |
| Nightstand or side table | 15–25 cm (6–10 in) | Single jar beside the lamp, never taller than the lamp base |
| Console table | 30–45 cm (12–18 in) | Single jar off-center, balanced by a lamp or books |
| Mantel | 30 cm (12 in) and up | A pair at the ends, or a trio grouped to one side |
| Sideboard or buffet | 35–50 cm (14–20 in) | A pair at the ends, or one large jar with a lamp |
| Coffee table | Under 25 cm (10 in) | One low jar on a tray, lid on |
The gold embossed ginger jar ($217.99) is listed at 15.5 × 36 cm (6.1 × 14.2 in), roughly 36 cm tall with a rounded body, so it sits in the console and mantel range. The chinoiserie floral ceramic vase ($79.99) is about 22–23 cm (8.7–9.1 in) tall and 16.5–17.5 cm (6.5–6.9 in) wide depending on the colorway, which suits a shelf, a nightstand or a coffee table.
On a wall shelf, the gold jar’s height and raised relief need a quiet setting: a couple of books and one small bowl are enough. The listing describes its finish, antique gold with embossed relief, but not the material underneath.
Mantel, Console and Bookcase Placement
Mantel. A pair of jars at either end of a mantel, with a mirror or artwork centered between them, is the classic formal arrangement. As a rule of thumb, the jars should reach about a third of the way up the mirror, so a 90 cm (35 in) mirror wants jars of at least 30 cm (12 in). For a less formal mantel, group a jar with a lower object and a stem to one side and let a single piece of art balance the other. Our guide to styling a mantel, with or without a fireplace covers layering in more depth.
Console. A console is the natural home for a single jar. Set it about a third of the way in from one end, put a lamp or a tall stack of books near the other, and fill the middle with something low. The jar should be the tallest decorative object that is not a lamp. The wider principles of console styling are in how to style a console table.
Bookcase. On shelves, jars work as punctuation between runs of books. One jar every second or third section is plenty, and a jar in front of horizontally stacked books reads better than one squeezed between upright spines. Check the headroom first: a lidded jar that touches the shelf above looks trapped.
Mixing Ginger Jars With Modern Pieces
Two current ways of using ginger jars pull in different directions. The grandmillennial approach leans into pattern, pairing jars with florals, skirted tables and pleated lampshades for a deliberately traditional look. The modern-traditional approach uses one or two jars as the only traditional note in an otherwise simple room. Both work. What looks dated is the halfway point, where jars, lamps, prints and cushions all match one another without any contrast.
A few ways to keep a jar current:
- Contrast the material. Put glazed ceramic next to raw or oiled wood, linen and matte stoneware rather than more glossy porcelain.
- Contrast the shape. A round jar beside a rectangular lamp base or a straight-sided tray looks sharper than a jar beside another round jar.
- Limit the pattern. If the jar is patterned, keep cushions, lampshades and prints nearby plain.
- Add one modern object. A simple lamp, an abstract print or a sculptural bowl tells the eye the room was put together now.
Natural wood is the most reliable partner. The wooden oval catchall tray ($54.99–$109.99) is solid wood in a natural finish with a softly irregular oval rim, offered flat or on small feet. On a console, it gives keys and small things a place beside a jar, and its uneven organic edge is exactly the kind of informal counterpoint that stops a traditional jar from looking stiff. The listing describes it as a compact catchall and does not publish dimensions, so treat it as a landing spot for small objects rather than a base for the jar itself.
The footed version of the tray lifts slightly off the surface, which gives a console arrangement a second, lower level next to a tall jar. Wipe it with a soft, dry or barely damp cloth, and never soak it.
Beyond Blue and White: Gold, Color and Texture
Blue and white is the classic, but it is not the only way into the look. A metallic or colored jar keeps the silhouette and drops some of the period associations.
The gold ginger jar is a good example. Its antique-gold finish has a warm metallic sheen with subtle variation, and a raised embossed pattern wraps the body and the removable domed lid; the listing calls the style vintage-style and chinoiserie-inspired and notes a weighted base for steadiness on shelves and mantels. Gold reads warmer and more formal than blue and white, so it sits well with walnut, cream linen and a pair of gold-tone taper candle holders ($46.99), which are iron with a gold- or silver-tone finish and a clear faceted collar, sold as a set of two. If other metals are already in the room, our guide to mixing metals in home decor explains how to make gold work beside them.
Color is the other route. The chinoiserie vase comes in three colorways: cobalt blue on white with Greek-key bands at neck and foot and a small bird among the flowers, and warm yellow or soft coral pink with white peony florals. Its decoration is a hand-painted-style pattern on glazed ceramic, not hand painting, and its shape is a baluster vase with a wide flared mouth rather than a lidded jar. The blue-and-white version draws on the same tradition and does the same job on a shelf, which makes it a useful, lower-priced companion to a true ginger jar.
The blue-and-white chinoiserie vase is glazed ceramic, about 22–23 cm (8.7–9.1 in) tall with an 8–10 cm (3.1–3.9 in) opening, and costs $79.99. Beside a larger jar, it forms a two-height group in one palette.
Lids, Stems and Care
A ginger jar can be shown closed or open. With the lid on, it is a sculptural object; with the lid set aside, it becomes a vase for a few tall branches. The listings for the gold jar and the chinoiserie vase recommend the same approach to fresh stems: use a watertight liner or a small inner jar rather than filling the vessel with water directly, and treat dried or faux stems as the easy default. When the lid is off, keep it somewhere safe; a lid is the part most easily chipped or lost.
- Dusting: a soft, dry cloth, worked gently into any raised relief. The gold jar’s listing specifically advises working into the embossed pattern to keep it crisp.
- Marks: a barely damp cloth, dried straight away. No abrasive cleaners or scouring pads, which dull both glazes and metallic finishes.
- Handling: lift by the body with both hands, never by the lid or the rim, and keep a hand on the lid if the jar is being moved closed.
- Light: the gold jar’s listing advises keeping it out of harsh direct sun to preserve the warmth of the finish.
More vases, jars and objects for shelves and consoles are in the decorative objects collection.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is it called a ginger jar?
The name is European. Lidded Chinese porcelain jars of this rounded shape became popular in Europe in the 18th and 19th centuries, where they were generally known as ginger jars. The Victoria and Albert Museum notes that it cannot be proved the jars were actually used to ship ginger, so the name is best treated as a collector’s label.
Are ginger jars out of style?
No, but the way they are styled has changed. A room full of matching blue-and-white jars on every surface can look dated, while one or two jars mixed with plain linen, natural wood and a modern lamp read as current. The jar is not the problem; the matching set around it usually is.
Should ginger jars be displayed in pairs?
Pairs suit symmetrical spots such as the two ends of a mantel or a sideboard, or either side of a mirror. A single jar placed off-center suits a console or a bookshelf and feels less formal. Both are correct, so choose based on whether the rest of the arrangement is symmetrical.
What size ginger jar should go on a mantel?
As a rule of thumb, a mantel jar should be at least 30 cm (12 in) tall to hold its own, and a pair should reach roughly a third of the way up the mirror or artwork above. Smaller jars work there only when raised on books or grouped with other objects.
Can you put flowers in a ginger jar?
Yes, with the lid set aside, and dried or faux branches are the easiest choice. For fresh flowers, follow the listing: the gold jar and the chinoiserie vase in this guide both recommend a watertight liner or small inner jar rather than filling them with water directly.
How do you clean a ginger jar?
Dust it with a soft, dry cloth, working into any raised pattern, and wipe with a barely damp cloth only when needed, drying it straight away. Avoid abrasive cleaners, which can dull a glaze or a metallic finish, and lift the jar by its body rather than by the lid or rim.
Every Warm Shelf order ships free worldwide, with 30 days to return anything that does not settle into your home the way you hoped.