Neolithic “Chinese” civilization (in the geographical rather than cultural sense) comprised a matrix of regional cultures that developed simultaneously, each yielding distinctive traditions that reflected factors such as climate and environment, available natural resources, relative isolation or extent of cross-cultural interaction, technological capabilities, and artistic creativity. Archaeologists and art historians have classified the stages of development over time, called “phases,” of these regional cultures based on ceramic types found at sites considered representative of a particular phase and using the names of those sites to label them.

Built by hand with great care by the coil process, this handsomely crafted large jar is made of the characteristic buff-colored clays found throughout northern China. The checkerboard-like pattern within a circle painted on the shoulder, and the cross-hatch strokes on the neck are design features common to pottery vessels from the Banshan phase (ca. 2655–2330 BC) and Machang phase (ca. 2330–2055 BC). With its wide shoulders tapering to the narrow base, this jar’s shape is more elongated than Banshan examples, and its lack of burnished surface also points to the Machang phase.