Stemmed bowl with shallow basin (dou)

This shape of stem bowl, with a shallow basin on a tall conical pedestal and a flaring footrim, exists in all Chinese Neolithic cultures. The dou of the Majiayao culture were painted with monochrome or polychrome decorations from very early on. By the Machang period, the interior of the dou was commonly embellished with patterns that usually covered the entire surface. Yongjin and Lingxia in Gansu province and Liuwan in Qinghai province have yielded abundant examples of these painted Machang dou.