Lot 7

Chinese Neolithic Pottery Tripod Vessel, ex-Arte

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Chinese Neolithic Pottery Tripod Vessel, ex-Arte

Estimate: $600 - $900

October 2, 2025 8:00 AM MDT (In Progress)
Live Auction
Louisville, CO, US


Description:

East Asia, China, Neolithic period, ca. 3rd to 2nd millennium BCE. A grayware pottery tripod vessel, its rounded body raised on three stout legs with a wide circular mouth rimmed by a slightly everted lip. Two prominent vertical lug handles rise from opposite sides, pierced for suspension or attachment. The surface retains earthen deposits from long burial, emphasizing the age and authenticity of the piece. Tripod vessels of this type were central to Neolithic food preparation and ritual practice. Their three-legged form ensured stability over an open flame, while the pierced handles allowed for ease of carrying or hanging. Such utilitarian objects also carried symbolic weight, as the tripod form would later become an enduring motif in Chinese ritual bronzes of the Shang and Zhou dynasties. This ceramic ancestor to those bronzes offers a glimpse into the technological and cultural developments of early Chinese civilization, where functional design and ritual significance were deeply intertwined. Size: 7.25" L x 8.5" W x 5.6" H (18.4 cm x 21.6 cm x 14.2 cm)

Provenance: private Denver, Colorado, USA collection; ex-Arte Primitivo, New York, New York, USA, July 23, 2024, lot 464 (1 of 3); ex-Paul S. Forbes collection, Maryland, USA, acquired 1970s to 1980s

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#197125

  • Condition: Missing original cover. Professionally reprepared with break lines visible. Nicks, abrasions, and weathering to surface, commensurate with age. Rich earthen deposits throughout.

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $299 $25
$300 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 + $20,000