Origins of Chinese Ceramics
中国陶器的起源

The earliest Northern Chinese intuitively recognized the potential of clay as a medium; artisans of the late Neolithic period (ca. 2000 BCE) experimented with fundamental components of the basic ceramic kiln to obtain remarkable firing success. In central China and along the eastern coastline, several different cultures developed distinct ceramics styles. Ancient Chinese fired ceramics for utilitarian, ritual, and funerary functions, and decorated their works with graphic designs. This exhibition featured forty-four ceramic examples from the late Neolithic period to the early historical period between 5000 and 2000 BCE, including items from the Yangshao, Liangzhu, and Longshan cultures, the Shang dynasty (ca. 1600–1100 BCE), and the Warring States Period (ca. 475–221 BCE).