Acquisition

Acquired October 1, 2019 in Quzhou, Zhejiang. Quzhou lies at the western edge of Zhejiang, within the broader influence zone of Liangzhu culture, where Neolithic artifacts occasionally surface in private collections.

Attribution Research

Initially dated conservatively due to the absence of direct museum parallels. Subsequent comparative study with a Neolithic red pottery animal-shaped vessel published in Shandong Cultural Relics Highlights (《山东文物精萃》) confirmed clear formal affinities between the two pieces. The Read Gallery example, executed in black pottery, demonstrates more refined craftsmanship and form than its northern red pottery counterpart, reflecting the distinctive ceramic tradition of the southern Liangzhu cultural sphere. It is now attributed to the Liangzhu period and recognized as a rare fine example of animal-shaped vessels within that cultural tradition.