Mee Lee

Unknown

Well

private collection

This "Majiayao-type Patterned Painted Pot with Dual Ears" was made between 3300 and 2800 BC and is a representative work of the early Majiayao culture during the Neolithic period in China. The Majiayao culture, located in the upper Yellow River region, is known for its unique and advanced painted pottery art, marking one of the most prosperous periods of prehistoric painted pottery in China and significantly influencing the later Qijia culture and early bronze civilization development.

This painted pottery pot features a red clay body, large and full in shape, with symmetrical dual ears on the shoulders. The shoulders are high and the neck is short, with the mouth rim slightly flared out, making it convenient for storage and handling. The overall painting technique is exquisite, with black paint depicting sharply defined geometric patterns such as grids, triangles, waves, and diagonal lines. These patterns are filled with visual rhythm and are arranged in an orderly manner, reflecting the artisans' pursuit of order and beauty at the time, while possibly also carrying religious or clan symbolic meanings.

Early Majiayao painted pots were primarily used for holding water, storing grains, or rituals, embodying both practical and aesthetic value. Its structured geometric style and balanced form reflect the burgeoning of standardization in vessel design and the abstract expression of the spiritual world in primitive society. This piece stands as a classic embodiment of the artistic and technical prowess of the Majiayao culture.

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