Indian Stone Butter Pot

Squat, mossy-brown pot with a fat rolled lip and a very settled air.

This carved stone butter pot is from Rajasthan, India, and dates to the 19th century. Butter and clarified butter, known as ghee, are central to cooking in many parts of India, and they were traditionally kept in covered vessels at home. Framed whole, a small, round-bellied vessel narrowing toward the base, with a thick, rounded rim. The surface is dark olive brown and gently mottled, with a dull, uneven sheen and small hammered-looking marks. It is 3.5 inches wide and 3 high.

Short, sturdy, and entirely fine with being plain.