PI. 166,2 (K 6601) Honan, Ho Yin Hsien, Chin Wang Chai.
Reconstruction made by Grans of a large vessel with pointed bottom.
From the apex upwards to more than half the length, including the two lugs, the vessel is preserved in genuine old material. The mouth is genuine and so also are two small fragments on the shoulder, but it is far from certain that these three fragments belong together with the base part of the vessel. On the contrary, it is quite likely that the mouth belongs to another specimen, but it is very probable that the mouth chosen for the reconstruction represents the shape of mouth that actually belonged to the vessel represented by the genuine material in the lower part.
The mouth shows beautiful concentric striations indicating a rotary action when it was formed.
The ware of the mouth is greyish, brick-red at the surface.
The two small fragments on the shoulder have a nearly violet surface. They exhibit a longitudinal net or string impression, and in addition in the upper part of the big fragment string impressions, which run obliquely across the longitudinal pattern.
The ware in the lower well-preserved part of the vessel varies at the surface from vivid brick-red to dark grey and almost black.
The lugs are semi-circular when seen from the side. Viewed from above they are much broader at the base, and the shaping of their narrow central part has squeezed the clay together from both sides in a way that looks as if the lug were made from two longitudinal halves.
The entire surface is covered with longitudinal net or string impressions. Near the apex is added a system of oblique spiral string impressions running to the very apex.
Length 935 mm. Widest diameter at the lugs 213 mm. Outer diameter of mouth 73 mm. Inner diameter of mouth 43 mm.
When looking at the slender shape of this vessel, with its shoulder near the neck and the loin at the lugs, one might be tempted to assume that the vessel is a copy in clay of a water bag made from the skin of a sheep or any other animal of that size. In such a case it would indicate a once nomadic tribe which later settled down to the sedentary life of farmers and fishermen close by the Yellow river.
The mouth has a widened fore-room that was certainly made with a quite specific purpose, probably for facilitating the inrush of air when the contents were poured out. If this explanation is correct, we find here another instance of remarkable skill in technical matters such as we meet with in other types of the ceramic furniture (compare the discussion on the construction of the Yang Shao Li tripods) (Bulletin 15:230)
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