Indonesian Ceramic Shipwreck Vessel

Peachy and smooth, a well-fed pot with ears set on at jaunty angles.

This shipwreck vessel is from Java Sea near Borneo, Indonesia, and dates to the 17th or 18th century. It is pottery. Maritime trade grew dramatically during the Song and Yuan dynasties, from the 10th to the 14th centuries, when Quanzhou in Fujian Province was considered the largest port in the world. Plump jar in warm pinkish buff, with a rolled lip and fine ribbing around the belly. Small pinched handles sit on the shoulder, and the foot tapers to a modest base. The surface looks clean and lightly dusty. It is 6 inches wide, 6 deep, 9 high and 0.19 in diameter.

Cheerful, round, and willing to sit anywhere.