Indonesian Ceramic Shipwreck Vessel

Rust-brown and grainy, wearing a thick rope rim like a well-worn collar.

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. Jar of reddish brown, rounded in form, with a rough sandy surface and a heavy applied coil around the mouth. Small loop handles sit on the shoulder, and a dark spot marks one side of the body. It is 5.5 inches wide, 5.5 deep, 8 high and 0.14 in diameter.

Plain-spoken pottery with a sturdy handshake.