Mee Lee

Unknown

Well

private collection

This "Sonzec Culture Bamboo-Node-Shaped Black Pottery Cup" was produced during the late Neolithic period of the Sonzec culture (approximately 3900 to 3200 BCE) in the lower Yangtze River region of China, primarily covering present-day Shanghai and southern Jiangsu. The Sonzec culture is a representative of the advanced prehistoric settlement civilization in East China and serves as an important technical and aesthetic transition between the Majiabang culture and the later Liangzhu culture.

This vessel is made of sand-mixed black pottery, reflecting high-temperature reduction firing techniques. The high cup features a slender and upright shape, with its overall design adorned with bamboo-node-like decorations that are distinctly segmented, resembling natural bamboo stems, embodying a clear interest in biomimicry and decorative beauty. The cup's mouth flares outward, and the foot is structurally balanced and stable. The bamboo-node pattern not only serves a practical anti-slip function but also symbolizes longevity and purity, representing an early human group's spiritual imitation of natural imagery and aesthetic pursuits.

The black pottery artifacts from the Sonzec culture bear witness to significant advancements in local social division of labor, aesthetic consciousness, and craft quality. Such high cups were either used for drinking banquets, ceremonial liquids, or symbols of status, thus serving as material evidence of social stratification and ceremonial concepts in late Neolithic society. The bamboo-node-shaped black pottery cup is an elegant classic that embodies the integration of nature, practicality, and art within the Sonzec culture.

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