Art of East Asia: Neolithic & Bronze Age China




One of a very few pieces excavated in recent periods, this tsun like vessel is one of the very few examples of this ware known. Shang white ware is of great interest to ceramic specialists. The designs are closely related to the Bronze vessels but not so finely carved as the molds for the bronzes must have been. Even so the ceramic technology of the Shang had reached a very high level to attain and work with such difficult material (it is a very "unforgiving" clay) and there is a consummate demonstration of the mastery of the materials in the few pieces known. Shanghai Museum.