Chinese Shipwreck Funnel-Form Mercury Storage Vessel

Flat-topped cone with a sleepy little hole, like a gray traffic cone with manners.

This shipwreck funnel-form mercury storage vessel is from Cizao Kilns, Fujian Province, China. It is stoneware. Ceramics fired and glazed at high temperatures could stay unaffected for centuries underwater, especially when buried beneath silt, while most other trade cargo was destroyed, swept away or disintegrated over time. Flat-shouldered vessel whose sides taper sharply to a narrow base. The surface is smooth, pale gray-green with a few darker areas and flecks, and the top opening is small and slightly irregular. It is 4.5 inches wide, 4.4 deep and 7 high.

All taper, no fuss, and extremely stable-looking.