Large Painted Terracotta Pot With Abstract Motifs, Majiayao Neolithic, China

Majiayao culture, Machang type, circa 2300-1800 BC. This large painted jar is the most typical pottery of the late Majiayao phase, Machang period. The characteristics are: an elongated body in harmony with the earlier Majiayao jar when the width and height are almost equal; a coarse and barely polished surface; rough brushwork on the patterns with little care; the colors are closer to purplish black or dark brown. Above all, the most characteristic pattern is the four large symmetrical central circles on the top of the shoulder. The zigzags typical of the Banshan period also disappear. There are many different patterns inside the "four Machang circles", such as nets, dots, spirals, small circles. For this object, the pattern inside each circle is unclear, probably a cross. Machang pottery is considered more as everyday items, which have also been found at burial sites.