Catalog (62)

This rare and attractively-shaped pottery jar was made around 4,000 years ago by peoples of the Neolithic Qijia Culture (c. 2050 - 1700 BC), from what is now eastern Gansu province, China. They produced a variety of pottery vessels including cord-impressed pottery of many shapes and sizes as well as higher-fired jars such as this. This jar is relatively highly-fired and is quite an unusual shape with its almost spher...

This rare pottery jar was made around 3,000 years ago by peoples of the Neolithic Xindian culture (c. 1200 - 500 BC). The Xindian culture is a relatively late Neolithic culture and overlaps with the Chinese Bronze Age. Xindian pottery is rarer and generally less refined, more coarse and brittle than pottery from some earlier Chinese Neolithic cultures. This jar, however, is well-made and of an attractive form. It is made from quite a gritt...

This pottery jar was made by peoples of the Siwa culture (c. 1350 BC), one of the later Chinese Neolithic cultures, overlapping the Bronze Age. It is of a slightly differing shape to most know similar examples in that it has a wider base and, therefore, wider lower body. It is fairly heavily-potted and has been fired to an attractive orange-red colour. There are two loop handles joining the shoulder to the mouth which is of the ...

This twin-handled pottery jar was made over 4,000 years ago during the Machang Phase (c. 2300 - 2000 BC) of the Majiayao culture, also known as the Gansu-Yangshao culture, from present day Gansu or Qinghai province. It is relatively highly-fired and made from a buff-coloured pottery. It has a wide body and two loop handles joined at the waist and upper neck. The outer surface and inner mouth have been coated in a reddish-br...

This twin-handled pottery jar was made over 4,000 years ago during the Machang Phase (c. 2300 - 2000 BC) of the Majiayao culture, also known as the Gansu-Yangshao culture, from present day Gansu or Qinghai province. It is relatively highly-fired and, therefore, more durable than lower-fired examples. The inside of the mouth and the upper body have been coated in a reddish-brown wash on top of which have been painted geometr...

This twin-handled pottery jar was made over 4,000 years ago during the Machang Phase (c. 2300 - 2000 BC) of the Majiayao culture, also known as the Gansu-Yangshao culture, from present day Gansu or Qinghai province. It is relatively highly-fired and made from a buff-coloured pottery with a smooth burnished surface. It has a wide body and two loop handles joined at the waist and upper neck. The outer surface and inner mouth ...

This attractively-shaped pottery jar dates to the Siwa culture (c. 1350 BC), one of the later Chinese Neolithic cultures overlapping the Bronze Age. It has been fired to an attractive orange-red and has a burnished surface making it smooth to the touch and a pleasure to handle. It has a wide body with a relatively small flat base. There are two loop handles joining the shoulder to the mouth which is of the form sometimes referred to ...

This pottery jar was made some 4,000 years ago by peoples of the Neolithic Qijia Culture (c. 2050 - 1700 BC), in the north of China, what is now eastern Gansu province. They produced a variety of pottery vessels including cord-impressed pottery of many shapes and sizes. This particular example is quite "heavily-potted" with the upper body decorated by one long incised line that spirals, haphazardly, down from the neck to t...

This twin-handled pottery jar was made over 4,000 years ago during the Machang Phase (c. 2300 - 2000 BC) of the Majiayao culture, also known as the Gansu-Yangshao culture, from present day Gansu or Qinghai province. It is relatively highly-fired and made from a buff-coloured pottery with a smooth burnished surface. It has a wide body and two loop handles joined at the waist and upper neck. The outer surface and inner mouth ...

This attractively-shaped pottery jar, or cup, was made around 4,000 years ago by peoples of the Neolithic Qijia Culture (c. 2050 - 1700 BC), from what is now eastern Gansu province, China. It is made from a fine-grained grey pottery that is fairly highly-fired. There are two "strap" handles joined at the waist and mouth edge. The surface has been burnished making it smooth to the touch. This form is typical of sma...

This jar was made some 4,000 years ago by peoples of the Neolithic Qijia Culture (c. 2050 - 1700 BC), in the north of China, what is now eastern Gansu province. They produced a variety of pottery vessels including cord-impressed pottery of many shapes and sizes. This particular example is made from a coarse gritty clay and more "heavily-potted" than some. It has a particularly pleasing form with its wide body and wide flared mouth. ...

This attractively-shaped pottery jar was made around 4,000 years ago by peoples of the Neolithic Qijia Culture (c. 2050 - 1700 BC), from what is now eastern Gansu province, China. It is made from a pale buff-coloured pottery that is fairly highly-fired. There are two "strap" handles joined at the waist and mouth edge. The surface has been burnished making it smooth to the touch. The pottery at the constricted neck...

This fine pottery jar was made around 4,000 years ago by peoples of the Neolithic Qijia Culture (c. 2050 - 1700 BC), from what is now eastern Gansu province, China. They produced a variety of pottery vessels including cord-impressed pottery of many shapes and sizes as well as finely-burnished jars such as this, with one, two or three handles. It is relatively highly-fired, having a distinct ring to it when tapped....

This jar was made some 4,000 years ago by peoples of the Neolithic Qijia Culture (c. 2050 - 1700 BC), from what is now eastern Gansu province. They produced a variety of pottery vessels including cord-impressed pottery of many shapes and sizes. This particular example is made from a coarse gritty clay and has a wide flaring mouth. Below the neck the surface of the body is decorated with cord impressions that were repeatedly pressed ...

This attractively-shaped pottery jar was made around 4,000 years ago by peoples of the Neolithic Qijia Culture (c. 2050 - 1700 BC), from what is now eastern Gansu province, China. It is very thinly-potted and quite highly-fired, having an almost "metallic" ring to it when tapped. There are two "strap" handles joined at the waist and mouth edge. Much of the upper surface is coated with a thin layer of "calcified" s...

This jar was made some 4,000 years ago by peoples of the Neolithic Qijia Culture (c. 2050 - 1700 BC), in the north of China, what is now eastern Gansu province. They produced a variety of pottery vessels including cord-impressed pottery of many shapes and sizes. This particular example is made from a coarse gritty clay and has a wide flaring mouth. The surface colour varies and in places are what appear to be carbon deposits suggest...

This rare pottery jar was made around 4,000 years ago by peoples of the Neolithic Qijia Culture (c. 2050 - 1700 BC), from what is now eastern Gansu province, China. They produced a variety of pottery vessels including cord-impressed pottery of many shapes and sizes as well as higher-fired jars such as this. This is quite an unusual shape with its wide body and two small loop handles on opposing sides of its ...

This large and impressive pottery jar dates to the Siwa culture (c. 1350 BC). From its fairly small flat base, the body spreads out to a wide waist and then tapers in again to a neck of about the same width as the base before flaring out to form the mouth. There are two loop handles that join the shoulder to the rim. The surface colour of the pottery has interesting variations in places, from an attractive deep orange to grey, a r...

This large pottery jar was made over 4,000 years ago during the Machang Phase (c. 2300 - 2000 BC) of the Majiayao culture, also known as the Gansu-Yangshao culture, from present day Gansu or Qinghai province. It is a well-made jar of fine form and good proportions. At the waist of its wide body are two sturdy loop handles. At the top of its wide body is quite a narrow neck with a flared mouth.

It is quite highly-fired ...

This interesting pottery vessel was made over 3,000 years ago during the Chinese Neolithic or early Bronze Age. The form is of a cooking vessel and the three wide udder-shaped legs allow it to be stood in a fire with as much heat as possible being transmitted to its contents. It is not always easy to determine exactly which culture such vessels come from as similar vessels were made by various Chinese cultures. However, we understand this example was exc...

This attractive pottery jar was made over 4,000 years ago during the Machang Phase (c. 2300 - 2000 BC) of the Majiayao culture, also known as the Gansu-Yangshao culture, from present day Gansu or Qinghai province. It is a particularly fine example of its type, quite thinly-potted and highly-fired, made from a pale yellowish-brown pottery, the colour of which varies in places due to uneven conditions during firing. The surface is very smooth ...

This unusual pottery jar was made over 4,000 years ago during the Machang Phase (c. 2300 - 2000 BC), or possibly the earlier Banshan Phase (c.2600 - 2300 BC) of the Majiayao culture, also known as the Gansu-Yangshao culture, from present day Gansu or Qinghai province. It is quite thinly-potted and highly-fired, made from a pale yellowish-brown pottery. Joining the shoulder of the wide body to the flared mouth edge are two loop hand...

This large and impressive pottery jar dates to the Siwa culture (c. 1350 BC), one of the later Chinese Neolithic cultures overlapping the Bronze Age, and has been excavated from Gansu or Qinghai province in the north-west of China. It is of a very attractive shape: from its fairly small flat base, the body spreads out to a wide waist and then tapers in again to a neck of about the same width as the base before flaring out to fo...

This large pottery jar was made over 4,000 years ago during the Machang Phase (c. 2300 - 2000 BC) of the Majiayao culture, also known as the Gansu-Yangshao culture, from present day Gansu or Qinghai province. It is quite "heavily-potted" and is relatively highly-fired. It has a short neck with flared mouth, and two sturdy loop handles on opposing sides at the waist. The outside of the jar and the mouth have been decorated with geometric pat...

This rare and unusual jar was made some 4,000 years ago by peoples of the Neolithic Qijia Culture (c. 2050 - 1700 BC), in the north of China, what is now eastern Gansu province. It is made from a gritty reddish pottery. The outer surface has the impressions made by the shaping tool and there are horizontal notched strips of clay applied to the lower body. What makes this jar so rare and unusual, however, are the four loop handles and the...

This attractively-shaped pottery jar dates to the Siwa culture (c. 1350 BC), one of the later Chinese Neolithic cultures overlapping the Bronze Age. It has a very attractive form with its wide body and a relatively small flat base. There are two loop handles joining the shoulder to the mouth which is of the form sometimes referred to as "saddle-shaped". It has been fired to an attractive orange-red and has a burnished surface making...