East Asia, China, Neolithic Period, ca. 3000 to 2000 BCE. A beautiful, large, ceramic urn decorated with a complex black painted geometric pattern of triangles, circles, waves, and what look like joined hands around the shoulder and neck. Two small, lugged handles are set mid-body. This piece is from the very early pottery tradition found at various archaeological sites along the Yellow River Basin (modern day Gansu Province in northwestern China to Henan Province in central China), from the culture sometimes called the Yangshao. The painted motifs on the urn's surface demonstrate a remarkably early use of fine brush work. This item would have served as an urn for a cremation burial, of which a limited number have been found from this culture. They seem to have been used mainly for children, and occasionally for adults. Size: 15.5" W x 15" H (39.4 cm x 38.1 cm) Provenance: private southern California, USA collection, acquired before 2000 All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience. #136665