ceramic, sculpture
sculpture
asian-art
ceramic
form
geometric
sculpture
prehistoric
decorative-art
Dimensions 8 1/2 x 5 1/4 x 5 1/4 in. (21.59 x 13.34 x 13.34 cm)
This elegant Stem cup, made by Longshan, is from a time long ago. Imagine the artist's hands, shaping this delicate form, coaxing the clay into this vessel. The surface is so smooth. It’s not painted but it’s been burnished, rubbed until it shines. What were they thinking as they worked the clay? Did they imagine future generations admiring their creation here in Minneapolis? Perhaps they saw it as a humble offering, a part of daily life. The cup's elongated stem and flared mouth give it a sense of lightness, almost as if it could float. The material's dark tone adds a touch of mystery, making you wonder about the rituals and ceremonies it may have been part of. There’s a timeless quality to this work. An ongoing conversation about human creativity, expressed through the simplest of materials.
Comments
When distinctive black wares were first excavated in 1930, the Neolithic culture responsible for their production was named Longshan, after a nearby town in present-day Shandong Province in northeast China. Active during the third millennium B.C.E., Longshan culture thrived and its artisans produced some of the most sophisticated and elegant forms of any ancient culture. Made of fine-grained clay turned on a potter's wheel, Longshan ware is characterized by its astonishingly thin walls and bold, geometric silhouettes. As is the case with the present example, the stems of these cups often sport a bulbous embellishment, perforated by "arrow" slits. Although typically devoid of painted decoration or clay appliqué, Longshan wares were fired in a reduction kiln atmosphere which darkened their surfaces. With burnishing, the surface took a handsome metallic sheen.
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