Indian Stone Butter Pot

A plain brown jar with a lip like a rolled-up sleeve.

This carved stone butter pot is from Rajasthan, India, and dates to the mid 19th century. Carved stone vessels are shaped by chipping, drilling and smoothing, and the finish usually keeps the tool marks and natural color of the stone. A squat, rounded pot with a thick everted rim and a body that swells out toward a low base. The surface is a mottled earthy brown, dull with some darker shading near the shoulder. It is 4 inches wide and 2.5 high.

Modest, round, and quietly built to hold things.