POST WINGS

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This "Majiayao Culture Semi-Mountain Type Pointed Bottom Bottle" is approximately 4,800 years old and is a typical artifact of the mid Semi-Mountain type from the Majiayao culture of the late Neolithic period in China (approximately 3300 BC - 2100 BC). It is mainly distributed in the Huang He River's upper plateau region, encompassing areas of Gansu, Qinghai, and Ningxia. The Majiayao culture is renowned for its exquisite painted pottery and unique vessel shapes adapted to the geographical and climatic conditions of the plateau, and it represents one of the peaks of Chinese painted pottery art.

This bottle is made of fine orange-yellow clay, with delicate materials and moderate firing temperatures. The shape features a slender neck, slanting mouth, flared rim, folded shoulder, and a round, bulging belly, gradually tapering to an outstanding pointed bottom. The bottle's abdomen has a remaining semi-circular lug for carrying. The pointed bottom design allows it to be easily inserted into soft sand or secured on a storage rack, suiting the needs of both nomadic and settled agricultural lifestyles.

The surface of the bottle features hand-pressed diagonal line textures; the patterns are simple yet rhythmic, fully showcasing the Majiayao culture's keen grasp of linear beauty. The pointed bottom bottle not only served practical purposes like holding water or brewing but also held significant symbolic meanings in rituals, ceremonies, and social identity, reflecting the aesthetic, artistic, and craftsmanship standards of early plateau societies.

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