Mantou Disc

This unusual ceramic disc is actually an early 20th-century plate used as a surface for steaming large batches of mantou buns. The fluffy wheat flour buns have been popular in northern China since the Han dynasty (206 BCE - 206 CE) and would have a common find in a Qing-dynasty kitchen. With a striking design and richly aged texture, this everyday utensil becomes a storied sculptural object when set upon a custom steel stand.