Basin c. 3000

This painted pottery basin was made by the Majiayao culture; we don't know exactly when. The design, in black, is so rhythmic, like music made visible. Look at how the artist handled the edge, decorating it with circles, stripes and cross-hatching. This is very much about process. The artist lets their line wobble just so slightly, so we know it was made by a human. At the center, there is a single dot; maybe it’s a belly button, a starting point? From this navel, the artist worked outwards, drawing concentric circles. But here's the trick: these lines undulate; they are slightly wobbly and asymmetrical, so we are led into some kind of spiraling vortex! The whole object reminds me of the work of contemporary ceramic artists like Magdalene Odundo, who finds inspiration in ancient forms. What is particularly lovely here is that ambiguity; is it a vessel, a sculpture, or a graphic score? Like all great art, it transcends categorization.