Bowl

Yangshao artist

c. 4500 BCE

Banpo type Earthenware

Minneapolis Institute of Art

A simple, orange-red earthenware bowl with visible dirt and wear is presented against a neutral gradient background. The bowl has a rounded shape and a wide opening. The Yangshao culture (c. 5000-3000 BCE) located in the middle region of the Yellow River (<I>Huang he<I>) was at its zenith in the fifth millenium BCE. A complex neolithic settlement was discovered at the village of Banpo near Xi'an in Shanxi province which became the namesake to a whole range of ceramic artifacts made in this region. Banpo phase (4800-4300 BCE) pottery is rich in shapes and decorative techniques including painting. <P>The beauty of this relatively plain bowl, however, is based on its fine, even potting and well-proportioned profile. Thin walled and perfectly hemispherical in shape, this elegant vessel exemplifies t