Chinese Wine Storage Jar

Glossy black on top and bare tan body below, with a pale ghost patch on the belly.

This glazed pottery wine storage jar from Shanxi is from Shanxi Province, China, and dates to the early 19th century. Wine in China has traditionally been made from grain, and it was kept in large ceramic jars that could be sealed to protect the contents. Round-shouldered jar with a short collared mouth, covered in dark brown-black gloss over the upper body. A tan band marks where the finish stops, and an irregular pale splotch shows on the side. It is 12 inches high and 10.5 in diameter.

Dipped in dark, but not all the way.