Analysis and Replication Studies of Prehistoric Chinese Ceramics from the Qijia Culture

Abstract

ABSTRACTEleven ancient Chinese ceramics from the early Bronze Age Qijia culture (c. 2200 – 1600 BCE) in the collection of the Harvard Art Museums were the subject of an interdisciplinary research project to explore questions about manufacturing techniques, specifically details of formation and decoration. While the Qijia culture, centered in the Gansu and Qinghai provinces of northwest China, is historically important as one of the earliest metalworking cultures of China and as a center of intercultural communication between China and central Asia, detailed scholarship about the culture is still emerging. Qijia ceramics have been categorized by typology, but little has been done regarding methods of manufacture. This study used visual examination and digital X-radiography to investigate ceramic production, especially the use of a wheel. In addition, the ceramic paste, including natural inclusions and temper, was examined. While film radiography has often been used to study ceramics, digital radiography presented new capabilities as well as challenges. Experimentation through the making of test vessels and tiles at the Harvard Ceramics Program provided additional insights into Qijia ceramics’ manufacture and surface decoration techniques, often described as cord-impressed.