Chinese Ceramic Roof Tile, Based

Same stout bar shape, but this end wears a toothy glare under swirling brows.

This terra cotta roof tile on a base is from China. Terra cotta means baked earth, a porous clay body fired at relatively low temperatures and left unglazed or lightly finished, used for tiles, vessels and sculpture worldwide. Weighty rounded bar with a dull pewter-grey surface, pitted and scuffed along its length. The end face shows a snarling mask with curled brows and a wide mouth, pressed in crisp relief. Pale scratches cross the flank. It is 11.5 inches wide, 4.5 deep and 6.5 high.

It glares at everything, including the camera.