Stem Cup by Longshan

Stem Cup c. 2500

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ceramic, sculpture

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asian-art

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ceramic

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form

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geometric

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ancient-mediterranean

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sculpture

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ceramic

Dimensions: 8 15/16 x 3 5/16 in. (22.7 x 8.41 cm)

Copyright: Public Domain

This Stem Cup was made by the Longshan culture, with earthenware, sometime in ancient history. There's something mesmerizing about the surface of this piece, it's not just the color, but the texture - a sort of matte, almost velvety feel that invites you to reach out and touch it, though I'm sure we're not supposed to! The tiny perforations feel so deliberate, like the maker really thought about the relationship between positive and negative space, between solid form and airy lightness. Each little cut-out is like a brushstroke. The stem section seems to be where the artist really let loose, creating a lively rhythm of absences and presences. Looking at the whole form, I'm reminded a bit of Eva Hesse's sculptures, that share a similar blend of geometric abstraction and organic sensuality. Art is an ongoing conversation, isn't it? An exchange of forms, ideas, and feelings across time.

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Comments

minneapolisinstituteofart's Profile Picture
minneapolisinstituteofart over 1 year ago

The Longshan culture of north and northeast China is best known for its thin, hard, black-burnished pottery. Longshan potters took advantage of the new potter’s-wheel technology, well-refined clays, and high-fire kilns to create one of the most technically accomplished wares of the Neolithic era. Using fast-turning wheels, potters could create vessels with eggshell-thin walls. The bulbous stem, perforated by slits, was created on the wheel separately from the cup’s bowl, and then attached before firing. Although typically devoid of painted decoration or clay appliqué, Longshan wares were fired in a reduction-kiln atmosphere, which darkened their surfaces.

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