A very rare painted pottery humanoid head jar and coverNeolithic period, Majiayao culture, circa 3300-2000 BC新石器時代 馬家窰文化 約公元前3300至2000年 彩陶人形蓋罐(2)Height 10¾ in., 27.3 cmFor more information on and additional videos for this lot, please contact serina.wei@sothebys.comIn response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.French Private Collection. Acquired in Paris, prior to 2000.法國私人收藏得於巴黎，2000年之前Exceptionally rare, the presented painted pottery vessel with its anthropomorphic cover represents one of the earliest instances of three-dimensional human representation in Chinese art.  The Majiayao culture is remarkable for its stylistic painted pottery decoration, and the present vessel likely dates to some time during the second or third phase of the Majiayao culture, the Bashan (c. 2600-2300 BCE) or Machang (2200-2000 BCE) periods, where a more experimental, almost playful, approach to designs incorporating many figural elements entered the repertoire of the potters. A group of similar heads, without their accompanying vessels, was acquired by the Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities, Stockholm, in the early decades of the 20th century, reputedly found in the Banshan hills in Gansu province, illustrated in J.G. Anderson, 'Researches into the Prehistory of the Chinese', Bulletin of the Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities, vol. 15, 1943, pls 186-7. A related head and vessel in the Harvard Art Museums (accession no. 170.28.A-B), was included in the exhibition Prehistoric Pottery from Northwest China, Harvard Art Museums, Cambridge, 2016 (accession no. 2006.170.28.A-B).Various theories have been proposed over time regarding the facial features of such vessels. For example, the facial striations have been suggested to represent the tears of a slave before being sacrificed, or a form of human warfare or camouflage for the men of this culture who were hunters. As the individuals at the top of these vessels would likely have been important, another theory holds that the lines represent the designs tattooed or painted on the faces of shaman. The dating of this lot is consistent with the results of Oxford Authentication Ltd. thermoluminescence test no. C103e42.本拍品經牛津熱釋光檢測編號C103e42，結果與其斷代相符