A large painted pottery jar Majiayao culture, Majiayao phase, c. 3100-2700 BC 馬家窰文化 馬家窰類型 彩陶大罐

Sizable jars as the present piece are amongst the largest vessels produced during the Majiayao culture. Their substantial proportions and wide opened mouth would have served them well as water containers or tanks. The painted decoration on the present jar could reference to its function, with curved waves alternating with straight horizontal lines, denoting moving and still water respectively.

Compare similar examples recorded in Cheng Zheng and Qian Zhiqiang, Painted pottery of the Yellow River, Taipei, 1994, p. 299, pl. 138 and Chang Wei-Hwa, Pottery and jades of China's Neolithic Age, Taipei, 2001, p. 23, pl. 8, where the wavy lines on the jars are accentuated by painted dots possibly representing water splashes.

此類彩陶大罐，應屬馬家窰文化中最大型器物之一，廣腹、寬口，容量甚大，原應作為盛水或貯存缸用途。本品綴波浪與平緩線條紋飾相間，宛若水域，波光粼粼，或許象徵其用途。

比較類同作例，程征及錢志強，《黃河彩陶》，台北，1994年，頁299，圖版138，及張偉華編，《抱璞怡陶 - 中國新石器時代的陶器與玉器》，台北，2001年，頁23，圖版8，此例波浪紋間綴圓點，似象徵水花。