Chinese Longshan Style Vase with Loop Handles

Rows of tiny dots march around the shoulder like stitches in clay.

This Longshan style vase with loop handles comes from Sichuan Province, China, and is terra cotta. The Longshan culture of the late Neolithic is known for skilled wheel-thrown pottery, and later vessels in its style borrow those clean profiles and pressed decoration. This vase has a flared mouth, a round shoulder with two small loop handles, and a high flaring foot. Bands of impressed dots and lines circle the shoulder. The buff clay is crusted in places with pale, chalky deposits. It is 5 inches wide, 4.75 deep and 7.25 high.

Ancient manners, practical proportions.