EARTHENWARE, Gray Earthenware, Qijia Culture（2200–1600BCE）

Gray earthenware jar of the Qijia culture, Late Neolithic period.

Small in scale yet with pronounced shoulders and a narrowed mouth, it presents a refined jar form characteristic of ancient Chinese earthenware. Horizontal linear motifs encircle the shoulder, and the body retains vertical, comb-like smoothing marks.

The overall firing resulted in an ash-brown tonality, and the surface bears soil encrustations and weathering consistent with prolonged burial. Unlike red-painted wares, the clay body and traces of its finishing themselves form the visual interest, making this a restrained example of gray earthenware.

The Qijia culture was centered in northwestern China and extended from the late Neolithic into the early Bronze Age. This object, while drawing on the tradition of painted pottery, is an ancient Chinese earthenware prized for the tactile quality of its gray fabric and for a vessel surface that still bears traces of ancient adjustments.

There are few traces of damage or repair, and the piece is in exceptionally good condition for Late Neolithic pottery. The surface shows abrasion, encrustations, and weathering consistent with age. Please refer to the photographs for details of condition.