Artwork Cover

Majiayao Culture Banshan Type Conical Base Vase

Prehistoric Artifacts

Size W17.8 x D14.3 x H29.7 cm

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Certificate
M2025PAS000004OW
Artist
Wen Wu Shou Cang Jia
Creation Year
Unknown
Condition Status
Well
Supplier
POST WINGS
Introduction
This "Majiayao Culture Banshan Type Conical-bottomed Bottle" is approximately 4,800 years old and is a typical object from the mid-Banshan type of the Majiayao Culture of China's late Neolithic period (circa 3300 BCE - 2100 BCE), primarily distributed in the upper reaches of the Yellow River Plateau region of Gansu, Qinghai, and Ningxia. The Majiayao Culture is renowned for its exquisite painted pottery and unique vessel forms adapted to the geographical and climatic conditions of the plateau, representing one of the peaks of Chinese painted pottery art.

The bottle is made of fine orange-yellow clay, with a delicate texture and moderate firing temperature. It features a slender neck, slanted mouth, flared rim, folded shoulder, and rounded belly, with the lower abdomen gradually tapering to a prominent conical bottom. The side of the bottle has a remaining semi-circular handle. The conical bottom design facilitates insertion into loose sandy soil or stabilization on a carrying frame, meeting the needs of both nomadic and settled agricultural lifestyles.

The surface of the bottle shows handcrafted diagonal line patterns, with simple yet rhythmical decoration, fully showcasing the Majiayao Culture's keen grasp of the beauty of line. The Majiayao conical-bottomed bottle was not only used for holding water or brewing but also held symbolic significance for rituals, ceremonies, and social identity, reflecting the aesthetic, artistic, and craftsmanship standards of early plateau societies.
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