Chinese Rough-Hewn Trough

A gentle dip at the center of the rim gives this one a slight pout.

This rough-hewn trough comes from Shandong Province, China, and dates to the early 17th century. It is stone. Stone troughs of this kind served Chinese farms and households for water and feed, and the D shape was generally meant to stand against a wall. The front curves outward in faceted planes, its surface rubbed smooth over long use with only faint traces of tooling. The rim dips at the center and widens at the corners. Pale lichen marks and darker staining scatter across the buff stone. It is 32.5 inches wide and 24 high.

Smoothed by weather and work, and none the worse for it.