(very?) old pot, any thoughts?

[alexlenehan]

Hi board, long time watcher, very occasional poster.

Picked up this quirky piece for $10, my wife thinks I am mad and it smells too bad to have in the house. I think it might be pretty old though. I have some experience with Japanese pottery and although I haven't handled anything older than 800 years old this piece has the signs of wear I would associate with neolithic pottery (or maybe it is a 100 year old bed pan with a rough life )

I'd love to hear the thoughts of the board. I have shown friends with an eye for Chinese neolithic pottery and they can't match the style so I down to 6 more continents it could be from!

Thanks for any help,

Alex

 

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[kenstein]

Very cool looking pot. I don't understand the "smell bad" part. It could have been used as a chamber pot I guess, but those haven't been needed for a long time.

 

[randazzo1]

Sure looks an awful lot like a native american piece to me. Could you send an upclose photo of the chips on the outer rim? I want to see if we can identify the temper.

 

[Indian Steve]

Very, Very Cool. I am leaning toward Native American too.

 

[Paleo_joe]

It looks native american to me too

 

[Paleo_joe]

Where did you buy it? It is not an Arkansas pot, I don't think.

 

[alexlenehan]

Wow, thanks for all of your replies, I didn't dream that it could be Native American. It was bought in San Diego Paleo Joe. I have tried to take some more pictures of teh chips with and without macro. Not really sure what to show so happy to take more if these don't help.

Thanks again,
Alex

 

[Beans]

Could be a old Kimchi pot which would explain the foul smell.

 

[randazzo1]

My honest guess is that it's a dug pre-contact piece from somewhere west of the mississippi. Those incised marks are intriguing. I cant tell what the temper is - looks similar to crushed stone temper we see in woodland era pieces here in the northeast - but our pottery is so fragile it's exceedingly rare to have intact pieces.

 

[alexlenehan]

Thank you so much randazzo1! I have reached out to a local museum for further help and will update the post as I find out more.

Alex

 

[GlenDronach]

I am leaning towards Kimchi pot as well. It looks similar in shape and markings to older ones online.

 

[GibH]

I doubt it's a kimchi pot. The uneven flared lip would make it hard to seat a lid.

 

[Clay Diggins]

First things first. Is it high fire or low fire?

 

[alexlenehan]

Definitely low fired, dull thud and slightly porous.

I can't find any kimchi pots with a similar shape, they all seem wider. Do you have a link?

Museums so far have been unhelpful unfortunately.

 

[GlenDronach]

http://www.lovethatkimchi.com/Kimchi_Pots/Adam_Field_Pottery/kimchipot7.gif


http://l7.alamy.com/zooms/85c3d1d91...enting-kimchi-in-seoul-south-korea-eahyme.jpg

 

[cyberdan]

kimchi pots need a wide mouth so things can be added by hand and then arranged.