Unknown metal container--please help identify

I don't know what kind of metal it is, either...Looks like copper and brass to me. I live in California and I have a bowl that matches yours, sorta...It also, is black inside, like someone used it as a flower pot. Pretty old, a kid here dug it up in Mountain Ranch and gave it to me. The marks on the bottom are more like the marks on the front and back of yours. I took it into the Chinese restaurant here, and the waitress's said it was "Old writing" and they could not read it. The bowl itself is about 9" wide, and it stands about 6" high. I gave it to my neighbor to take to a museum in Oroville, where his mother is curator, and see what she thinks, but the guy hasn't gone yet. When I get the bowl back I will take picture of it to show you. It is JUST LIKE YOURS,, almost. It doesn't have any legs to stand on, and is minus the two distinct metals like yours...The imagery on the sides, seems to tell a tail of some kind. Let me know what you find out from your end, and I'll let you know what I find out here!!! Good luck! Donna in CA

I will be interested in seeing if anyone out there comes up with a better explanation!

If there hadn't been two of you reporting similar containers being buried, I'd suggest a potpourri type use for these containers. (I'd probably use it like that now anyway!) Was there anything in the pot or in the immediate vicinity that might provide a clue?

There are a number of traditions (and I am NOT a Chinese expert!) as I recall, involving the burial of containers. The two most likely ones that come to mind are:
1. Offering for Luck. Often items were buried as a token to ward off evil or as an offering, particularly to spirits or ancestors. I suspect this is the most likely answer.
2. Most Chinese wanted their remains sent back to China for burial, some family members though, as I recall, kept a portion/token of the body and buried that locally so as to have a place to honor the person near by. (usually something like a lock of hair.) I would have expected a lid to be present though, if this was the case.

If you have a Chinese District near you, you might want to show them some photos and ask. Alternatively a Chinese consulate might be able to help you identify the characters and/or usage of your pot. Also the Museum of Chinese in America might have some answers for you ([email protected]).

These are areas where I would start!

Good luck!
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