Indonesian Stone Double Cistern

Two great stone pots, joined at the hip and in no danger of drifting apart.

This double cistern comes from Java, Indonesia, and is made of natural stone, of indeterminate age. Stone basins and water containers have a long history in Javanese courtyards and gardens. Two tapered vessels share one wall, their rims uneven and rough. Red-brown interiors contrast with outer walls pitted and scored in horizontal lines, with hints of green near the foot. The whole thing narrows sharply toward the bottom. It measures 64 inches wide, 19.5 deep and 33 high.

It has the air of a thing that expects to outlast the garden.