Early Neolithic Period, Yangshao Culture

Height: 16.5 cm, Mouth diameter: 39.8 cm

Unearthed in 1955 at Banpo, Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province

Animal motifs appear in great abundance in the painted pottery designs of the Yangshao culture, including fish, deer, frogs, and others, with fish motifs being the most typical. The Painted Pottery Basin with Fish and Human Face Design is universally recognized as an artistic masterpiece.

This painted basin is red in color. An intermittent black band is painted along the rim, while two symmetrical groups of human faces and fish motifs are rendered in black pigment on the inner wall. The human faces are round, with pointed shapes resembling hair buns on the crown of the head, as well as fish-fin-like ornaments. The entire composition is highly dynamic, with concise designs imbued with a sense of fantasy.