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  • Artifact ID #: 561
  • Excavation Unit: 13.5N 26W
  • Level: 10-20cmbs
  • Identification: Chinese porcelain “Sweet Pea” design liquor warmer. It is remarkable that archaeologists in the 1980s recovered this liquor warmer in almost complete form. This style of pottery is termed “Sweet Pea” as the blue pattern on the vessel depicts the sweet pea flower and vines. Liquor warmers are a relatively unique find on Chinese archaeological sites, and suggests a certain level of wealth in the German Gulch community. Rice wine and other forms of Chinese alcohol was best-served warm, and this small pot served that purpose. This is the only example of “Sweet Pea” pattern ceramics at German Gulch, which suggests that this liquor warmer was brought to Montana by the immigrants themselves and not sold at the Chinese store.


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