Chinese Ceramic Vessel

A tall brown jar with a pale lip and a past life in the kitchen.

Pottery makers in China produced this vessel in the 20th century. Tall glazed jars are commonly used for storing grain, water and preserved foods. The body is a tapering cylinder with a slightly narrowed shoulder and a wide, rolled, buff-colored rim. The glaze is a deep chocolate brown, glossy near the middle and thinning toward the base, with fine horizontal ridges showing from the potter’s wheel. A small patch of bare clay shows at the foot.

About 36 inches tall and 28 across. Umbrellas, branches or pure presence.