Chinese Drum-form Pedestal or Base

It has spent its career under something heavier.

This drum-form pedestal or base comes from Hebei Province, China, in stone, and dates to the 18th century. In Chinese building, a stone base raised a timber column clear of ground moisture, and carved examples also marked gateways and courtyards as places of some standing. The drum on top has a rough-pecked surface and a border of small studs around its upper edge. Beneath it, a six-sided shaft shows a leaping animal in low relief, with another on the panel beside it. A lobed, scalloped band wraps the foot. It stands 28 inches high and 16 wide.

Stone is good at keeping a job.