This earthenware, miniature is a replica of a single-handled "bei" or beaker of the Longshan Neolithic period (3000-2000 BCE). Black and burnished, it has incised bands around the waist and lower body and three tiny feet.Dawenkou Culture (previously known as Longshan to describe Neolithic cultures in the Shandong area) is characterised by elaborate ceramic forms such as this three-legged vessel.Early ceramics served many purposes over their more functional use. Ordinary vessels could have been made more elaborate for ritual use. Since most activities took place at ground level, it was thought their height may have distinguished them from ordinary wares. As a raised vessel commanded a greater presence and was more appropriate for ceremony than a flat or round-bottomed one.
