Can you imagine Chinese people’s creativity from about 6,000 years ago?
Here is an eagle-shaped pottery cooking vessel (ding) of the Yangshao culture dating to the Neolithic period. This dark grey vessel presents a standing eagle whose shape serves its function. It is a testimony to the ancient Chinese’s pursuit of art and practicality.
Unearthed from a tomb in the Huaxian county of Shaanxi province in 1958, the vessel may be related to sacrificial rituals in ancient time. Now it is part of the permanent collection of the National Museum of China.