Chinese Shang Dynasty Neolithic Tripod Gui Ewer
AGE: – Chinese Neolithic Period 3500 B.C. – 2000 B.C.
CONSTRUCTION: – Earthenware
HEIGHT: – 32cm
WEIGHT:– 3.05 kg.
#450 – PRICE: CONTACT
This Chinese Shang Dynasty Neolithic Tripod Gui Ewer dates to the Neolithic period of the Dawenkou and Longshan Cultures that existed in the Province of Shandong on the East China Plain between 3500 B.C. – 2000 B.C. Whilst many pottery objects made in the eastern part of China were painted, potters along the coast also used the techniques of incising and burnishing and it was during this period advances were made in the use of the potter’s wheel and firing techniques.
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This Gui vessel made from earthenware is decorated with a pie crust design circling the mid-section of the body, a common feature in this style of Gui vessel. Traces of artwork still remain on the top part of the body, on either side of the handle and around the top rim.
Although this thin-walled grey earthenware pottery was produced in small quantities, and usually reserved for ritual and funerary purposes rather than for daily use, this vessel it would appear has been exposed to fire, indicating that it was used for heating liquids at some point.
Referenced: Ancient China – From the Neolithic Period to the Han Dynasty
- The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is usually broken down into regional areas, such as North-eastern China, North-Central, Eastern, South-eastern, and South-central China. Furthermore, each area can be broken down into earlier and later Neolithic cultures.
- The Erlitou period, named after the excavated site of an ancient capital, continues to be a source of debate. Some historians believe it to be the site of the ancient Xia dynasty. Others consider it to be the early stages of the Shang dynasty. Dates for the Erlitou, Erligang, and Anyang phases of ancient China are also subject to debate.
- The period of time from the Xia through the Zhou is often referred to as the Bronze Age in Chin Western and Eastern signifies a change in the capital of that dynasty from west to east, for example from ancient Chang’an (Xi’an) to Luoyang. The Eastern Zhou is divided up into several periods. During the Warring States, for example, power shifts to several competing states. Zhou continues to rule as a puppet state while others jostle for power.
- The Qin eventually succeed in defeating all other states, uniting China for the first time. Imperial China begins at this point.
Other Examples: Neolithic Gui Potter China Online Museum
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