Annali di Ca’ Foscari. Serie orientale

From Organics to Ceramics?

Exploring Organic Skeuomorphism in the Later Neolithic in Northern China

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Abstract

Skeuomorphism in Chinese ceramics is a widespread phenomenon with examples known from the early Shang dynasty (sixteenth c. BC) through to modern times, and with metal, lacquer, jade and glass vessels all serving as models for the ceramics they inspired. With Neolithic pottery in China, however, the presence of skeuomorphic design is more difficult to assess. Nonetheless many Neolithic ceramics from northern China seem to embody influences from materials as various as basketwork, birch bark, leather and horn. This suggests that extensive skeuomorphism may once have operated at a much earlier stage in China’s ceramic history than the Bronze Age – namely the Neolithic period.


Open access | Peer reviewed

Presentato: 20 Dicembre 2024 | Accettato: 18 Giugno 2025 | Pubblicato 31 Luglio 2025 | Lingua: en

Keywords Neolithic • Birch-bark • Basketry • China • Horn • Leather • Skeuomorphism

Copyright © 2025 Nigel Wood. This is an open-access work distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction is permitted, provided that the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. The license allows for commercial use. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

Permalink http://doi.org/10.30687/AnnOr/2385-3042/2025/01/009