Clay; fired and painted
2500–2000 BCE
China
The British Museum
Details
Culture/Civilisation
Ancient China, Majiayao culture
Theme
Agriculture and Surplus
Subtheme
Surplus and the Road to City-States
Case Title
Patterns of prestige
Display Location
Coomaraswamy Hall
Findspot
Gansu, Qinghai, China
Measurements
30.5 x 39.5 x 35 cm
Accession Number
1929,0613.2
Description
The largest and most beautiful clay vessels of ancient China come from the upper Yellow River. This pot was fired at around 1000 degrees Celsius, making the clay very tough. Handles are strategically placed to ensure the vessel doesn’t topple when picked up. The glaze and elaborate painted patterns in the shape of gourds and nets show this was a high-status object. Rich burial tombs had as many as 100 painted pots like this for the afterlife.
Curators Comments
The clay vessels displayed in this exhibition—from Japan, China, India, Iraq, and Sudan—represent approximately 5,000 years of pottery. These are works of art, made for everyday use.
