Indonesian Ceramic Shipwreck Vessel

Dark and unshowy, dusted with white at the lip like a pot caught mid-baking.

This shipwreck vessel is from Java Sea near Borneo, Indonesia, and dates to the 17th or 18th century. It is pottery. Ceramics fired and glazed at high temperatures could stay unaffected for centuries underwater, especially when buried beneath silt, while most other trade cargo was destroyed, swept away or disintegrated over time. Oval jar in blackish brown with a flat-topped rim carrying chalky white deposits. Faint rings wrap the body, and small pale flecks and scratches mark the smooth, matte skin. It is 8 inches high and 5 in diameter.

Serious-faced and slightly floury, which suits it.