Basin with anthropomorphic handle
Majiayao phase, c. 3300-2650 BCE
Description
Bowl-shaped vessel with one handle rising vertically from the rim and terminating in a molded form resembling a human face; lower portion of vessel tapers inward to a flat base; buff earthenware lightly burnished and decorated with geometric designs painted in dark brown slip before firing; painted designs include a large lozenge shape with fishnet pattern, circles, dots, and undulating lines. Majiayao culture, Majiayao type. From the upper Yellow River valley region; Gansu, Qinghai, or Ningxia province.
Dimensions
H. 12.9 x W. (across handles) 19 x Diam. 15.2 cm (5 1/16 x 7 1/2 x 6 in.)
Provenance
[The Chinese Porcelain Company, New York, 2002] sold; to Walter C. Sedgwick Foundation, Woodside, CA (2002-2006), partial gift; to Harvard University Art Museums, 2006.
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