Painted Rice Measure

This rustic container was made over a hundred years ago to measure and hold a dou of rice, an ancient Chinese measurement. It is handcrafted with dovetail joints, iron-finished edges, and a hand-arched handle. At some point in its long life, a split of the wood was repaired using scrap sheet metal colorfully printed with cartoon characters. Contrasting the richly aged surface, we love the mid-century repair as a reminder of the many stories behind each object in our collection.