Bathing Horses by Zhao Mengfu (赵孟頫 )
Chinese Pottery may be the oldest artwork(艺术品) of
human beings. As far back as the Neolithic[,ni:əu'liθik] Age(新石器时代) (more than 8,000 years ago), people began mixing(v. 混合) clay and water then baking it until it held its shape. Ancient people attached the word 'pottery' to their discovery and used it to create various vessels(容器) and tools to improve the quality of life. Over the course of thousands of years, pottery became dominant['dɔminənt](支 配的) wares in people's daily life: used to cook, to store things, and to hold cuisine or waters as dishes.
A basin with the pattern of
human face and fish, Neolithic Age
a pottery from
Yangshao Culture
As time passed, the technique became more and more consummate(至上的 ). Different kinds of pottery appeared in different times and regions. Yangshao Culture, 5,000 - 7,000 years ago to today, developed a technique for painted pottery. Qujialing Culture and Longshan Culture, dating back about 4,000 years ago, were known for their black pottery. During the Shang Dynasty (16th - 11th century BC) bronze vessels grew into somewhat(几分) of a status symbol(社会地位象征) ; common people, though, still used traditional clay pottery. Workshops of grey and white potters took the artistic features of bronze wares(商品) and decorated their articles ornately.