Chinese Shipwreck Funnel-Form Mercury Storage Vessel

Smoky gray and taut as a drawn bow, with a ring of fine grooves near the foot.

This shipwreck funnel-form mercury storage vessel is from Cizao Kilns, Fujian Province, China. It is stoneware. Funnel-shaped earthenware from the late Song or early Yuan periods is believed to have carried mercury, which alchemists long associated with immortality and which physicians prescribed for a variety of illnesses. Dark gray conical vessel with a flat shoulder and a small hole at the top. The surface is smooth and slightly dusty, and a narrow flared foot with ring marks finishes the lower end. It is 5 inches wide, 5 deep and 7 high.

A somber coat, but the proportions are delightful.