Chinese Mortar or Grinding Vessel

Vertical grooves run down the sides like the bark of an old tree.

This mortar or grinding vessel was carved in stone in Hunan Province, China, in the 19th century. Mortars of this type were commonly used for grinding and pounding foods. The form is a wide, low cylinder with vertical ribbing around the outside, a broad shallow bowl and a small notch at the rim. The stone is pale grey, streaked and worn, and the interior shows fine tooling.

About 13 inches tall and 24 across. A broad, low bowl that sits comfortably on the ground.