Two Chinese Neolithic Style Earthenware Pots

Includes two earthenware pots painted in black, brown and red with geometric patterns, small shaped handles flank the neck of each, undecorated to the lower bottom and underside, the tallest pot (5 1/4 in., 6 in. diameter)(nicks with losses to body, handle, and rim; loss to pigments; general wear), and smaller pot (3 3/4 in., 5 in. diameter)(scattered nicks and surface loss; loss to pigments; general wear), presented together with Certificates of Authenticity from L & E Co., Hong Kong.

The Majiayao culture, which existed in today’s Gansu, Ningxia and Qinghai provinces, are best known today for their pottery traditions. Jars made during the Neolithic period were constructed by coiling rolled clay that was then smoothed and shaped into a form with hand tools. Afterwards, a detailed line pattern was applied on the jar using a paintbrush with dark red, black and dark brown pigments. The lower body of the vessels were left unadorned likely because the vessels sat in sunken pits in the ground and only the top portion of the jar would have been seen.


Good estate condition; the larger has small areas of loss to body and small chip to rim; the smaller with areas of dirt to sides.