Black Pottery
As early as 8,000 years ago, in the Neolithic Age, earthenware, primitive pottery, were invented and produced along the Yellow River and the Yangtze River. The earliest earthenware was moulded by hand.
During the Longshan Culture period, end of the Neolithic Age, fast wheel was used and pottery reached a record height, represented by the Black Pottery. The Longshan Black Pottery is the outstanding variety after Yangshao Culture period.
Longshan black pottery can be classified into three kinds: fine soil, argillaceous and sand inclusion, among which the making of fine soil black pottery with 0.5mm-1mm in thickness of its wall is most skillful. Its surface is jet black and shining, thus it is called egg shelling black pottery. The ornamentation usually is simple. Polished and bright luster is the main decorative content, which combines organically with black color.
It's black like a black jade, so call it "Black Pottery Culture". The making of such pottery is of high difficulty even today, all working procedures are fully handicraft, the works with high collection value, admired and favored by collectors around the world and it represents the great achievements of pottery making craft in ancient China. There are only few places on the world where black pottery is created.
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