Chinese Stone Millstone, Based

Round, heavy and holed through the middle. It never needed to be more.

This millstone comes from Shandong Province, China, and dates to the 17th century or earlier. It is stone. Mills of this kind ground grain across northern China for many centuries, usually turned by people or draft animals. The disc is thick and slightly irregular at the edge, speckled tan and grey, with a rust-colored streak near the bottom. A round hole sits a little above center, roughly cut and open clean through. It stands 28.5 inches high and 31 wide.

Its working days appear to be over. It is handling retirement well.