Mee Lee

Unknown

Well

private collection

This "Owl Sculpture of Yangshao Culture" was made during the Neolithic Yangshao culture period in China (approximately 5000 to 3000 BC) and is a fine example of the integration of prehistoric art and religious concepts in the midstream Yellow River region. The Yangshao culture is primarily distributed in Shaanxi, Shanxi, Henan, and is renowned for its red pottery and painted geometric and animal motifs, hailed as the brilliant peak of early Chinese painted pottery culture.

The sculpture is crafted entirely from red clay, depicting an owl with a rounded body sitting on its haunches, wide-open eyes, and a short pointed beak, presenting a charmingly naive form. The details are simple yet full of vivid expression. Animal sculptures in the Neolithic period were not only aesthetic expressions but were also closely tied to primitive beliefs and totem worship. The owl, as a nocturnal bird of prey, was believed to possess mysterious powers of protection or exorcism, playing a role in safeguarding and symbolizing within settlements, homes, or ritual activities.

This pottery sculpture not only showcases the artisans of the Yangshao culture's delicate observations of animals and their mature sculpting techniques, but it also reflects the rich and colorful spiritual world of prehistoric society. It serves as an important physical evidence for the study of primitive beliefs, social structures, and aesthetic consciousness, and is a precious remnant of prehistoric Chinese animal-shaped art.

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