Neolithic Majiayao Culture Straight‑Sided Painted Pottery Vessel With Interlocking‑Square Geometric Motifs, Majiayao Culture 3300 BCE‑2050 BCE

拍品描述

Dimensions: 9.8 cm (3.86 in) in diameter, 7 cm (2.76 in) in height, Early to Middle Neolithic (4th millennium BCE to early 2nd millennium BCE). Condition and Provenance: The vessel is intact and undamaged, with no minor cracks or signs of glued repairs. The rim shows only minor dents from burial, with no signs of modern polishing, repainting, or acid washing. The body is solid and thick, covered with the original burial soil. Black checkered and diamond patterns surround the body; some pigment fading and wear are natural results of long-term burial. The rotary-cut marks on the small foot rim are authentic prehistoric craftsmanship. The patina and surface coating retain their original burial state. This pottery was transferred from a collector in Northwest China to an antique gallery in Hong Kong, and then acquired in 2020 by a private collector in Georgia, USA, specializing in prehistoric pottery. Hong Kong, Georgia, and Vancouver are important global trading centers for Neolithic Chinese painted pottery. Description: This straight-walled painted pottery vessel from the Majiayao culture, decorated with interlaced square geometric patterns, was a small everyday container for holding and storing food. It may also have been a sacrificial vessel used by prehistoric tribes in the upper reaches of the Yellow River in Gansu-Qinghai region. It is a fine small collectible among Majiayao geometric pottery. The vessel is open, upright, and tapers inward at the bottom, with a small ring foot. The overall shape is simple and elegant. The entire exterior is decorated with interlaced rhomboid square patterns painted with black mineral pigments, arranged neatly. The outlines on the top and bottom are delineated with double horizontal lines, resulting in a rigorous and precise composition. Rhomboid and interlaced square patterns are classic decorative motifs of Majiayao pottery. These abstract geometric symbols reflect the ancients' understanding of the cosmic order and carry tribal totem and prayer connotations. The vessel was hand-formed using the coil-building method. After rough polishing, the surface was hand-painted with manganese-based mineral pigments and fired in a low-temperature wood-fired kiln. The pigments adhere firmly to the clay. The original turning marks preserved on the foot ring provide valuable material evidence for the study of Neolithic pottery-making techniques, prehistoric geometric decorative systems, and the aesthetic concepts of ancient northwestern tribes. Straight-walled Majiayao artifacts with complete shapes and balanced proportions are relatively rare in the global antique market. This specimen is regularly shaped, with dense and orderly arranged decorations, and retains its original surface intact. It possesses extremely high archaeological research value and prehistoric art collection value, attracting significant attention from North American art collectors and small to medium-sized private museums overseas. It is a fine, small, core piece in the collection of ancient painted pottery.

图片