Ancient Civilisations – Neolithic Pottery including the Collection of Ronald W. Longsdorf
Ancient Civilisations – Neolithic Pottery including the Collection of Ronald W. Longsdorf
Property from the Ronald W. Longsdorf Collection | Ronald W. Longsdorf 收藏
A rare painted pottery human-head jar Majiayao culture, Machang phase, c. 2200-2000 B.C. 馬家窰文化 馬廠類型 彩陶人首罐
Auction Closed
May 25, 03:26 AM GMT
Estimate
120,000 - 150,000 HKD
Lot Details
Description
Property from the Ronald W. Longsdorf Collection
A rare painted pottery human-head jar
Majiayao culture, Machang phase, c. 2200-2000 B.C.
Ronald W. Longsdorf 收藏
馬家窰文化 馬廠類型 彩陶人首罐
h. 31.8 cm
This lot is accompanied by a Computed Tomography Report issued by Antique Authentication, Hong Kong, showing the jar is essentially a one-piece construction. A copy of the report is available upon request.
此拍品附有香港古董鑒定有限公司所出之電腦斷層掃瞄檢測（CT）報告，顯示本罐為一體式結構。如欲索取報告副本，請聯絡部門同事。
Ronald W. Longsdorf, The Pottery Age: An Appreciation of Neolithic Ceramics from China, Circa 7000 BC - Circa 1000 BC, Hong Kong, 2020, pl. 29.
Ronald W. Longsdorf, 《陶誌：中國新石器時代陶器 約公元前7000年 – 前1000年》，香港，2020年，圖版29
Vessels sculpted with a humanoid head forming the mouth are not uncommon in the Neolithic period. However, the present jar, painted with parallel lines in black on the left side of the face and in red on the right, is very rare as designs on Neolithic pottery are often composed symmetrically.
Various theories have been proposed over time regarding this 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 warefare 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 shamen.
綜觀新石器時期彩陶人首罐，紋飾多對稱相應，如本品之人面，左半臉繪黑色斜紋，右為朱紅，極為罕見。
如此黥面紋飾之來由，歷代皆見探討，或言象徵奴隸獻祭前之淚水、或戰士、或獵人狩獵時之掩護等。另一假說，罐首應為描寫重要人物，或為主持祭祀的巫師之像。