HC-031
Asian Blackened Metal Lidded Storage / Cooking Pot
Unidentified; possibly Chinese or Southeast Asian · 19th–20th century (tentatively attributed)
Copper alloy (brass or bronze), Iron (bail handle), Copper (rivets)
Description
A deep, round-bellied metal vessel of generous capacity, the full shoulder drawing in to a short neck finished with a rolled and slightly everted rim. Two shield-shaped lugs are riveted to the shoulder with copper rivets and carry an iron swing bail handle, allowing the pot to be carried or suspended over a fire. The separate cover is a dished sheet of the same alloy, stepped in concentric rings and fitted with a simple folded strap handle, and seats over the mouth with a slight overhang.
The exterior is uniformly blackened with a dense, matt fire patina, broken by scattered pale mineral deposits and a vertical run of green corrosion below one lug. Where the rim and lugs have been rubbed, the underlying metal shows a warm yellow colour, and the interior retains that colour throughout, so the blackening is a surface condition acquired through use rather than an applied finish. The base is rounded rather than footed, and the vessel rests on its belly or in a ring rather than standing flat.
The object sits at the vernacular end of the collection. It carries no ornament, and its interest lies in its form and in the evidence of its working life: the proportions are those of a vessel made to hold a substantial quantity over a sustained heat, and the body has been mended at least once and returned to service.
Catalogue Note
The vessel is read here as a working object rather than a decorative one, and the evidence is on its surfaces. The blackening stops at the metal: rim and lug edges that have been handled show yellow alloy beneath, and the interior holds that colour throughout, so the exterior is soot and fire patina rather than a finish applied at manufacture. Three plugged repairs in the floor of the base, each ringed by exposed copper, show that the pot was holed, mended and returned to use — an expense worth incurring only on something in regular service.
The construction points to the later end of the suggested range. The lugs are separate shield-form straps riveted through the shoulder rather than formed with the body, and the concentric rings of the cover are evenly spaced and mechanically regular in a way more consistent with sheet spun on a lathe than with raising by hand.
Inscriptions & Marks
No maker's mark or workshop stamp is visible on the body, cover or base.
Condition
Heavy fire-blackening and patination overall, consistent with prolonged use over an open flame. Three plugged repairs are visible in the interior of the base, each ringed with exposed copper where the surrounding surface has been worked. Green corrosion is present around the lug fixings and locally at the rim. The cover is intact and seats correctly; both lugs and the bail handle are present and secure. Scattered denting, surface scratching and mineral deposits consistent with age and use; no obvious major structural loss visible.