Chinese Wine Storage Vessel

Squat, round, and stamped in tidy herringbone.

Potters in Shanxi Province, China, made this wine storage vessel in pottery in the early 19th century. Squat pottery jars like this were commonly used for liquids and provisions. A wide, rounded body is covered in rows of short slanted impressions that form chevron bands from shoulder to base. The neck is short and plain. The clay shows olive-grey and warm tan, with a faint glaze-like sheen on the shoulder.

About 19 inches tall and 16 wide. A pattern to look at up close.