Indonesian Ceramic Shipwreck Vessel

Smoky gray-green and softly worn, a pot that has mastered the art of fading politely.

This shipwreck vessel is from Java Sea near Borneo, Indonesia, and dates to the 17th or 18th century. It is pottery. Wrecks such as the Turiang from about 1370, the Royal Nanhai from about 1460 and the Nanking cargo from about 1750 helped create shipwreck ceramics as a collecting category. Slender oval jar in muted slate and olive tones with soft horizontal turning marks. The mouth has a narrow flat rim with a few chips, and the surface looks dry and slightly dusty. It is 5 inches wide, 5 deep, 8 high and 0.12 in diameter.

Subtle to a fault, and rather good at it.