Chinese Storage Vessel / Planter

A wide-mouthed clay jar with a rolled lip and a rough, honest surface.

Potters of Shandong Province, China, made this terra cotta storage vessel in pottery in the 19th century. Large jars like this were commonly used for grain, water or pickled foods and are now often used as planters. The body swells from a narrow foot to a deep belly, finished with a thick, rolled rim in a warmer orange-brown. Fine combed lines run vertically down the sides. The surface is chalky and weathered, patched with grey, with a few traces of orange near the base.

About 26 inches tall and 34 across. Room for a small tree, or a lot of ambition.