Indian Cylindrical Vessel with Ring Handles

Tall, straight and almost suspiciously plain for something this large.

This cylindrical vessel with ring handles is copper, from India, 19th century. Big copper vessels have long been used in India for storing water and for large-scale cooking, and copper remains a favored metal for both. Straight walls rise from a flat base to a thick, rolled rim. The body is a warm reddish brown, flecked with pale marks and patches of green toward the base and under the rim. Two heavy, brassy rings hang at the sides. The inside shows a gray-green tone. Twenty-eight inches high and 26 inches in diameter.

It does one thing and shows no interest in a second.