On April 14, 2023, the exhibition “History of one object. Spheroconus” opened in the exhibition area of the Museum of Bulgarian Civilization. For potters of X-XV centuries, production of pottery was quite complex and labor-intensive. Various products were produced, but researchers found in the territory of Volga Bulgaria the most mysterious ceramic vessel – a spheroconus.
The spheroconical vessel of the 13th-15th centuries represented at the exhibition was made of clay on a potter’s wheel.
Spherocones were very strong containers: elongated bottom, dilated body and thin neck of the vessel did not allow the contents to pour out even when the open spheroconus rolled from side to side. Therefore, it was convenient to store and transport liquids in them.
Until now, the exact purpose of the ancient “non-pourers” remains a mystery for historians. The contents of spherocones, the remains of which the researchers managed to find and recognize, showed that they could be used in perfumery, medicine, alchemy and religious ceremonies.

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