TCM Unearthed: Decoction Pot

This deep-bellied earthenware pot is a decoction vessel from the late Tang Dynasty. Unlike the smaller pots commonly used today, this one is larger, capable of brewing multiple doses of herbal medicine at once—likely intended for a large family or a medical clinic. A thousand years ago, a physician would place carefully prescribed herbs into this pot, add water, and simmer it slowly over a gentle flame. As the concoction bubbled, the essence of the plants was released into the water, transforming into a bitter-yet-sweet liquid used to restore balance and heal illness. It is now housed in the Shanxi Museum of Traditional Chinese Medicine.