Indonesian Pumpkin-Form Vessel

Ribbed and round like a squashed pumpkin, a vessel keeps a neat collar.

This pumpkin-form pottery vessel is from Java, Indonesia, and dates to the 20th century. A rounded, lobed body like a pumpkin is a common shape in ceramics worldwide, since the swelling form holds liquid well and sits stably. Squat and spherical in orange-brown, the body is marked with vertical ribs and a few darker smudges. A short neck rises to a thickened, slightly rolled rim, and the surface is matte with faint wear. It is 9.5 inches high and 8.5 in diameter.

Round, honest, and the color of a dry field.