Chinese Shipwreck Funnel-Form Mercury Storage Vessel

Ribbed at the shoulder, freckled in rust, and still very sure of its narrow opening.

This shipwreck funnel-form mercury storage vessel is from Cizao Kilns, Fujian Province, China. It is stoneware. Wrecks such as the Turiang from about 1370, the Royal Nanhai from about 1460 and the Nanking cargo from about 1750 helped create shipwreck ceramics as a collecting category. Tall tapering vessel in pale gray with a domed top and a tiny raised mouth. Several ridges circle the shoulder, and orange-brown staining spreads across the upper dome in a dusty film. It is 5 inches wide, 5 deep and 8.5 high.

Rust at the crown, composure everywhere else.