Catalog (73)

This large and impressive pottery jar was made by peoples of the Caiyuan Culture (c. 2600 - 2200 BC) and has been excavated from the Ningxia Autonomous Region in the north of China. It is quite "heavily-potted" and has been fired to a very pleasing pale yellowish-brown with the surface colour becoming more red in places. The upper surface has been burnished and is very smooth to the touch. The lower surface has been simply yet ...

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 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 pottery jar of a very rare form 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 has an unusually tall neck for its general type that is not quite centred to the wide body. At its mouth is a flared rim with two loop handles on opposing sides. It is quite thinly-potted and highly-fired, made fro...

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 pottery bowl, or 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 made from a pale yellowish-brown pottery and is more highly-fired than most known examples. It has a wide body with a flared rim. There are two small loop handles on opposing sides. The upper body and inner mouth have ...

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 extremely rare and imposing pottery jar dates to the around the 1st millennium BC, the late Chinese Neolithic / Bronze Age period. It is, without doubt, the largest and most substantial pottery jar we have ever encountered from this period. It has a rounded base and the whole of the outer surface has been decorated with repeated coarsely-woven cord impressions. Interestingly the inner surface be...

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 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 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 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 fine and incredibly ancient pottery vessel was made over 6,000 years ago during the Banpo phase (c. 4800 - 4300 BC) of the Yangshao culture in present-day Shaanxi province. This form is probably the most well-known of Banpo pottery, if not of all Chinese Neolithic pottery, and no serious collection of Chinese ceramics should be without an example!

It has a tall cup-shaped mouth and a pointed base....

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 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. 

The lower body is quite wide and there is a tall neck ending with a flared mouth...

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 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 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 quite thin-walled and relatively highly-fired. The upper body has been coated in a reddish-brown wash on top of which have been painted geometric patterns in a dark fired-on mineral-based pigment. Interest...

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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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. This jar is relatively highly-fired and little more "heavily-potted" than some other similar examples. It has a smooth burnished surface. The outer surface and inner mouth have been elaborately decorated with a ...

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 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 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 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 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 made from a relatively high-fired yellowish-brown pottery. It is of quite a "squat" form, with the wide body being quite low. There are two sturdy loop handles joined at the waist and just below the rim. The outer surfac...

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 fine and 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 un...

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 relatively highly-fired and made from a pale yellowish-brown pottery. For its type it has quite a large flat base with the body flaring out towards the wide waist where there are two sturdy loop handles. The u...

This unusually-shaped 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 relatively highly-fired and made from a pale yellowish-brown pottery. It has a fairly wide flat base, wide body and tall cylindrical neck. There is one loop handle joined at the shoulder and neck base, ...

This small 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 made from a fairly high-fired pale pottery and is of a very unusual and rare form with its wide body, small unflared mouth, no handles and four pairs of purpose-made holes around its shoulder. These holes were clearly made ...

This small 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 made from a fairly high-fired pale pottery and is of a very unusual and rare form with its wide body, small unflared mouth, no handles and four pairs of purpose-made holes around its shoulder. These holes were clearly made ...

This superb and rare tall pottery vessel was made some 4,000 years ago by people of the Xiajiadian culture (c. 2300 - 1600 BC) from Inner Mongolia. The form of this vessel is characteristic of this Neolithic culture with its wide rim, partly hollow udder-shaped legs and carefully constructed body. The surface of the body above the legs, and the inner mouth, have a finely burnished surface, its smoothness making it a real p...

This very 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 much less refined, more coarse and brittle than pottery from some earlier Chinese Neolithic cultures. Like many Xindian jars, this example is quite "thinly-potted" and shows "...

This rare pottery vessel was made over 3,000 years ago by peoples of the Siwa Culture (c.1350 BC) from present day Gansu or Qinghai province. It is attractively-shaped with high handles, a saddle-shaped mouth and a wide body that tapers down to a small circular flat base. Pottery jars from the Siwa culture are rarer than those of the preceding Qijia and Majiayao cultures and most known examples are made fro...

This rare pottery tripod ("li") was made some 4,000 years ago. Although similar vessels were made by various Chinese Neolithic cultures, we believe this particular example to have been made by potters of the Qijia Culture (c. 2050 - 1700 BC). 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 the contents inside the vessel. Such tripods are...

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...

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 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 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 and interesting pottery vessel was made by peoples of the Qijia Culture (c. 2050 - 1700 BC). Such vessels are sometimes called "owl" jars. It is quite "heavily-potted" and made from a grey pottery that is relatively highly-fired. The "top" of the vessel, as well as the surface of the single andle, has woven impressions, most likely made when this piece of clay was being formed, resting on some kind of woven m...

This superb and rare tall pottery vessel was made some 4,000 years ago by people of the Xiajiadian culture (c. 2300 - 1600 BC) from Inner Mongolia. This vessel is particularly characteristic of this Neolithic culture with its wide rim, partly hollow udder-shaped legs and carefully constructed body. It has a finely burnished surface, its smoothness making it a real pleasure to handle as well as to view. In places on th...

This large and extremely rare pottery jar was made 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. This jar is of the Tangwang type and is not quite as coarse in its construction as some other Xindian vessels. It is quite "heavily-potted" with two loop handles on opposing sides ...

This very 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 a variety of finer vessels such as this, with none, one, two or three handles, although those with three handles are extremely rare. It is relatively highly-...

This impressive pottery jar was, incredibly, made around 4,500 years ago during the Banshan Phase (c. 2600 - 2300 BC) of the Majiayao culture, also known as the Gansu-Yangshao culture, from present day Gansu or Qinghai province.

This jar is made from a relatively highly-fired pale reddish pottery. For its size it is relatively thinly-potted. It has two sturdy loops handles on opposing side of the waist. It has a smooth burnished s...

This impressive 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" with a smooth surface and is fairly 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 decor...

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 fine and attractively-shaped pottery jar was made over 4,000 years ago by peoples of the Caiyuan Culture (c. 2600 - 2200 BC) and has been excavated from the Ningxia Autonomous Region in the north of China. It is finely-potted with a wide body that tapers down to a relatively small base and one handle from the shoulder to the flared mouth. The upper surface has been burnished smooth. 

Height 29 cm (11.5 inches), diameter 27 ...

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 large and impressive pottery jar was made over 4,000 years ago by peoples of the Caiyuan Culture (c. 2600 - 2200 BC) and has been excavated from the Ningxia Autonomous Region in the north of China. It is relatively highly-fired and has been fired to a very pleasing pale yellowish-brown colour. The upper surface has been burnished and is smooth to the touch. The lower surface has been simply yet effectively decora...

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 rare and attractively-shaped round pottery jar was made over 4,000 years ago by peoples of the Caiyuan Culture (c. 2600 - 2200 BC) and has been excavated from the Ningxia Autonomous Region in the north of China. It has a wide body, straight neck and wide flared-mouth. The surface above the waist, as well as the inside of the mouth, has been finely-burnished and is very smooth to the touch. Around the neck is a band o...

This very rare and unusually-shaped pottery jar was made some 4,000 years ago by peoples of the Caiyuan Culture (c. 2600 - 2200 BC) and has been excavated from the Ningxia Autonomous Region in the north of China. It is finely-potted with a wide body and two loop handles. The body stands on an integral foot that is pierced with three circular holes. It has a very smooth burnished surface. There are lightly-incis...

This attractively-shaped pottery jar was made some 4,000 years ago by peoples of the Caiyuan Culture (c. 2600 - 2200 BC) and has been excavated from the Ningxia Autonomous Region in the north of China. It is finely-potted with a wide body and one handle from the shoulder to the wide flared mouth. The smooth burnished surface makes this vessel a pleasure to handle as well as to view. 

A good size with a height of 16...

This attractively-shaped pottery jar was made some 4,000 years ago by peoples of the Caiyuan Culture (c. 2600 - 2200 BC) and has been excavated from the Ningxia Autonomous Region in the north of China. It is finely-potted with thin walls and the pottery has fired to a nice reddish-orange colour. It has a wide body with two loop handles joined at the shoulder and the flared mouth, and a relatively small flat base. Unlik...