Chinese Drum-form Pedestal or Base

A stone drum with a star on its side.

This drum-form pedestal or base was carved in stone in Shanxi Province, China, in the mid 20th century. Drum-shaped stone bases are commonly associated with architectural use as supports. Here the rounded barrel shows a row of small circles near the top and a central emblem of a star framed by banners or wings below. The flat top is slightly worn, and the stone is pale and pitted, a weathered cream-gray with darker flecks.

About 10 inches high and 13 inches wide. It supports a plant, a lamp or any stray notion.