Shanxi treasure: Painted pottery jar from Yangshao culture

Does this ancient pottery jar remind you of the grain jars once kept in your own homes?

This well-preserved red pottery jar comes from the Miaodigou phase of the Yangshao culture (5,000-3,000 BC). With its short neck, broad shoulders, protruding upper belly, constricted lower belly and flat base, the jar is both practical and elegant. Its surface is burnished, and the upper belly is painted in black with graceful curved lines and dots forming floral patterns—revealing the unique aesthetic sense of the ancient artisans. It is now housed in the Shanxi Museum.