Storage Jar

Yangshao was a neolithic culture centered on Honan in southern Shansi. Yangshao pottery is of two kinds, a coarse grey earthenware that was used for ordinary household purposes, and a superior earthenware, such as this urn, made from a fine-grained clay with a lightly burnished surface, decorated with painted designs in black, red, maroon or brown. The reddish color is due to the iron content of the body when it is fired at emperatures around 1,000 C. The pots were built by the coiling method, while the painting was executed with a primitive brush. The designs are usually simple bands and geometric designs, frequently with added cross-hatching. Only the upper parts of the urns are painted.