Analysis Majiayao Pottery Decorative Patterns And Cultural Connotation

Pottery is the most important invention of our ancestors, which reflects our forefathers' as well as the witness of human's civilization. material and mental world in the long history. Furthermore, the emergence of painted pottery is a most splendid page in China's history, which reflects its profound meaning of Chinese pottery. The painted pottery of Majiayao Culture is renown for its great wonder among all the pottery around the world. These painted potteries are beautifully shaped, bright-colored, elaborately made and specially ornamented. Besides, the varieties of potteries are widely dispersed. Hence, it is undoubtedly a bright pearl in Chinese history.We can tell from the archaeological data that most of the painted pottery buried pieces have been found along the upper river banks of Huanghe River. Majiayao Culture has obvious geographical features and its painted pottery is very rich both in quantity and styles. It can be proved through archaeological research that the painted pottery in Yangshao Culture and Majiayao Culture is the most in the area of Huanghe River. And Majiayao Culture is the most representative culture in the upper reaches of Huanghe River. The art of patterns in the painted pottery of Majiayao Culture ranks the highest in the remote ancientculture of China. After Majiayao Culture, the painted pottery declined little by little.The painted pottery consists two parts: the pottery itself and its pattern, which shows the main difference between the painted pottery and the common pottery in its property and function. That is to say, the painted pottery is the unity of daily utensil and handicraft article, the unity of practical function and art. The painted pottery shows us its profound meanings through its different kinds of decoration form combinations. And this essay will focus on the study of the patterns of painted pottery in Majiayao Culture, trying to tell its rich connotations.My study aims at the following four points:First, I'll explain the origin of pottery, the emergence of painted pottery and the distribution of painted pottery; Second, I'll discuss the origin, development and classification of the patterns of painted pottery, as well as the abstract and concrete patterns; Third, I'll discuss the archaeological findings, distribution. And different cultural period of Majiayao Culture, and then I'll come to the explanation of its characteristics in different cultural stages and different categories of painted pottery.Forth, I'll introduce some common patterns ofpainted pottery and its development, such as Xuan pattern, Renxing pattern, Wang pattern and so on.