diff --git a/gmt/clib/core.py b/gmt/clib/core.py
index 0dbfc27e2c2..62261967417 100644
--- a/gmt/clib/core.py
+++ b/gmt/clib/core.py
@@ -100,6 +100,7 @@ def __init__(self, libname='libgmt'):
         self._c_write_data = None
         self._c_open_virtualfile = None
         self._c_close_virtualfile = None
+        self._c_read_virtualfile = None
         self._bind_clib_functions(libname)
 
     @property
@@ -206,6 +207,10 @@ def _bind_clib_functions(self, libname):
         self._c_close_virtualfile.argtypes = [ctypes.c_void_p, ctypes.c_char_p]
         self._c_close_virtualfile.restype = ctypes.c_int
 
+        self._c_read_virtualfile = self._libgmt.GMT_Read_VirtualFile
+        self._c_read_virtualfile.argtypes = [ctypes.c_void_p, ctypes.c_char_p]
+        self._c_read_virtualfile.restype = ctypes.c_void_p
+
     def __enter__(self):
         """
         Start the GMT session and keep the session argument.
@@ -880,6 +885,31 @@ def open_virtual_file(self, family, geometry, direction, data):
                 raise GMTCLibError(
                     "Failed to close virtual file '{}'.".format(vfname))
 
+    def read_virtual_file(self, vfname):
+        """
+        Read a GMT data container from an open virtual file.
+
+        If the virtual file was created using a data container allocated in
+        Python, then reading will return a pointer to that container.
+        Otherwise, GMT will allocate the container and will also destroy it
+        when the file is closed and the session ends. To retain that container,
+        copy it to Python-owned memory.
+
+        Parameters
+        ----------
+        vfname : str
+            The name of the virtual file (created using
+            :meth:`~gmt.clib.LibGMT.open_virtual_file`)
+
+        Returns
+        -------
+        container_pointer : ctypes.c_void_p
+            A void pointer to the data container stored in the virtual file.
+        """
+        container_pointer = self._c_read_virtualfile(self.current_session,
+                                                     vfname.encode())
+        return container_pointer
+
     @contextmanager
     def vectors_to_vfile(self, *vectors):
         """
diff --git a/gmt/clib/types.py b/gmt/clib/types.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..820d4bb7306
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gmt/clib/types.py
@@ -0,0 +1,95 @@
+# pylint: disable=too-few-public-methods
+"""
+Wrappers for GMT data structures.
+
+Useful if you need to access the internal values of a GMT data structure or
+pass it along as something other than a void pointer.
+"""
+import ctypes
+
+
+class LUT(ctypes.Structure):
+    """
+    Wrapper for GMT_LUT (look up table).
+    Required for Palette.
+    """
+
+    _fields_ = [
+        ('z_low', ctypes.c_double),
+        ('z_high', ctypes.c_double),
+        ('i_dz', ctypes.c_double),
+        ('rgb_low', ctypes.c_double*4),
+        ('rgb_high', ctypes.c_double*4),
+        ('rgb_diff', ctypes.c_double*4),
+        ('hsv_low', ctypes.c_double*4),
+        ('hsv_high', ctypes.c_double*4),
+        ('hsv_diff', ctypes.c_double*4),
+        ('annot', ctypes.c_uint),  # 1 for Lower, 2 for Upper, 3 for Both
+        ('skip', ctypes.c_uint),  # true means skip this slice
+        # Used as void pointer so we don't have to wrap GMT_FILL as well
+        ('fill', ctypes.c_void_p),  # For patterns instead of color
+        ('label', ctypes.c_char_p),  # For non-number labels
+    ]
+
+
+class BFN(ctypes.Structure):
+    """
+    Wrapper for GMT_BFN (back-, fore-, and nan-colors).
+    Required for Palette.
+    """
+
+    _fields_ = [
+        ('rgb', ctypes.c_double*4),  # Red, green, blue, and alpha
+        ('hsv', ctypes.c_double*4),  # Hue, saturation, value, alpha
+        ('skip', ctypes.c_uint),  # true means skip this slice
+        # Used as void pointer so we don't have to wrap GMT_FILL as well
+        ('fill', ctypes.c_void_p),  # For patterns instead of color
+    ]
+
+
+class Palette(ctypes.Structure):
+    """
+    Wrapper for GMT_PALETTE (stores a color palette table, or CPT).
+    Holds all pen, color, and fill-related parameters.
+    """
+
+    _fields_ = [
+        # CPT lookup table read by gmtlib_read_cpt
+        ('data', ctypes.POINTER(LUT)),
+        # Structures with back/fore/nan colors
+        ('bfn', BFN*3),
+        # Number of CPT header records (0 if no header)
+        ('n_headers', ctypes.c_uint),
+        # Number of colors in CPT lookup table
+        ('n_colors', ctypes.c_uint),
+        # Flags controlling use of BFN colors
+        ('mode', ctypes.c_uint),
+        # RGB, HSV, CMYK
+        ('model', ctypes.c_uint),
+        # If 1 then we must wrap around to find color - can never be F or B
+        ('is_wrapping', ctypes.c_uint),
+        # true if only grayshades are needed
+        ('is_gray', ctypes.c_uint),
+        # true if only black and white are needed
+        ('is_bw', ctypes.c_uint),
+        # true if continuous color tables have been given
+        ('is_continuous', ctypes.c_uint),
+        # true if CPT contains any patterns
+        ('has_pattern', ctypes.c_uint),
+        # true if CPT is hinged at hinge (below)
+        ('has_hinge', ctypes.c_uint),
+        # true if CPT has a natural range (minmax below)
+        ('has_range', ctypes.c_uint),
+        # true if CPT applies to categorical data
+        ('categorical', ctypes.c_uint),
+        # Min/max z-value for a default range, if given
+        ('minmax', ctypes.c_double*2),
+        # z-value for hinged CPTs
+        ('hinge', ctypes.c_double),
+        # z-length of active CPT
+        ('wrap_length', ctypes.c_double),
+        # Array with all CPT header records, if any)
+        ('header', ctypes.POINTER(ctypes.c_char_p)),
+        # Book-keeping variables "hidden" from the API
+        ('hidden', ctypes.c_void_p),
+    ]