Mee Lee

Unknown

Well

private collection

This "Majiayao Culture Majiayao Type Geometric Spiral Painted Pot" was made during the early Neolithic period of the Majiayao Culture (approximately 3300 to 2800 BC). The Majiayao Culture is one of the most representative painted pottery cultures in the upper reaches of the Yellow River and is a symbol of the peak of prehistoric Chinese art and daily crafts. The early Majiayao type is characterized by red pottery bodies and black geometric decorations. Historical data indicates that this era was predominantly based on tribal clan structures, with social differentiation not yet apparent, but craftsmanship and aesthetics were already mature.

This pot features a rounded belly and broad shoulders, with a slightly tapered neck adorned with a wavy rim and handles on both sides for easy transport. The body is decorated with a black color scheme, meticulously painted with various geometric patterns such as grids, triangles, waves, and curves, arranged in a regular and symmetrical composition. These patterns embody a reverence for nature, rivers, and the spirit of the tribe and may hold multiple identities in primitive religion, rituals, and daily use—not only serving as an important vessel for storage and carrying water but also as symbols of status and clan.

The rigorous form and standardized patterns of Majiayao type painted pottery are important testimonies to the aesthetic, organizational, and spiritual culture of early societies. This geometric spiral painted pot represents the creativity and symbolic consciousness of ancestors where art and life were highly integrated.

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