Basin
Majiayao phase, c. 3300-2650 BCE
Description
Circular basin with everted rim, slightly rounded sides, and lower body tapering inward to a flat base; buff earthenware lightly burnished and decorated with geometric designs painted in dark brown slip before firing; painted designs include concentric circles radiating outward from a single dot at the center with additional dots at regular intervals (on the interior), curved arcs and diagonal lines (on top of the rim), and wavy lines with feather-like flourishes (on the exterior). Majiayao culture, Majiayao type. From the upper Yellow River valley region; Gansu, Qinghai, or Ningxia province.
Dimensions
H. 11 x Diam. 30.5 cm (4 5/16 x 12 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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