Indian Vessel with Ring Handles

Hammer marks by the thousand, and not one of them apologizing.

This vessel with ring handles is copper, from India, 19th century. Copper has long been prized in India for holding water and cooking food, and it is widely regarded in Hindu practice as a pure metal for ritual use. The body swells from a narrow neck into a deep, low belly, every inch of it dimpled by the hammer. Dark and coppery patches mottle the surface, brightening where the light catches the shoulder. Two rings hang below the rim. A slim metal stand holds it off the floor. Twenty-six inches high and 34 inches wide.

It sits there like a large, patient thought.