Provincial Grain Container

This hand-crafted wooden bucket was once used by farmers in Shandong, China to transport their harvest of grains and other crops over long distances. Counterbalanced by a second container, the pail would have been lifted by a pole threaded through the tall handles and supported across one's shoulders. The rustic vessel has a basket-like form, with a square basin that narrows at the base and arched handles connected by a horizontal bar. Darkened to a warm brown finish, the large bucket has developed a lovely weathered texture, particularly at the handle, now burnished smooth from the touch of many hands. Today, this storied grain container lives on as a storage basket for magazines, toys, firewood or balls of yarn.