The Yangshao Culture was a significant Neolithic society in China (c. 5000–3000 BC) along the middle Yellow River, famous for its advanced painted pottery featuring intricate designs and its early agricultural settlements, marking a crucial phase in Chinese civilisation’s development, named after the first excavated village site in Henan Province.
National Treasure 国宝
Painted Pottery Jar with Stork, Fish and Stone Axe 鹳鱼石斧图彩陶缸
Pottery | Neolithic Yangshao Culture (ca. 5000-3000 BC) | H: 46.8cm, D (mouth): 62.7cm, D (base): 20.1cm | Excavated from Yancun site, Ruzhou, Henan province in 1978 | National Museum of China collection. 陶器｜新石器时代仰部文化（约公元前5000一前3000年）｜1978年河南汝州间村遊址出土｜中国国家博物馆藏1
The painted imagery on this pottery jar depicts a stork catching a fish alongside a standing stone axe, possibly narrating a story of conflict between the “stork tribe” and the “fish tribe,” with the stork tribe’s victory. The stone axe on the right side of the composition may symbolise the military authority of the stork tribe’s leader. This scene is considered the earliest known example of narrative painting in China.2
The stork-and-fish motifs were widely distributed across the Yellow River basin, including sites such as Quanhu in Shaanxi province and Dawenkou in Shandong province-demonstrating interregional cultural exchange during the Neolithic period. The stone axe, as a symbol of military power, together with the ceremonial yue-axes of the Liangzhu jade culture and later Shang dynasty bronze culture, reflect the evolution of royal regalia and offer material proof of the continuity and development of early Chinese civilisation.3
About Chinese Treasure Series
中華國寶系列 Chinese Treasure series feature specific artefacts and relics from museums all around the world that are historically significant to be considered a National Treasure. The series covers the 5,000 years of Chinese civilisation from Neolithic periods before the Xia dynasty (c. 2070-1600 BC) to modern day.
Footnotes:
- Painted Pottery Jar with Stork, Fish and Stone Axe Design
Neolithic, Yangshao Culture (c. 5,000-3,000BC)
Height 46.8cm, Diameter at mouth 62.7cm, Diameter at base 20.1cm
Unearthed at Yancun, Linru (now Ruzhou), Henan Province, 1978
Painted pottery jars were used for holding human remains in Yangshao culture. They are also known as “Yichuan jars” because most of them were unearthed near Yichuan County, Henan Province, and were mainly used for the burial of adults. The painted design of this pottery jar is colourful and complex in composition. It is generally believed that this pottery jar is a burial device for the clan leader. The combination of a totem image and weapon was typically painted on leaders’ burial urns to express important historical events and commemorate their heroic deeds.(By: Wang Yueqian)
https://en.chnmuseum.cn/collections_577/collection_highlights_608/archaeological_discoveries_609/201911/t20191121_172528.html ↩︎ - 陶缸上绘白鹳衔鱼与石斧图，可能在讲述鹳部落与鱼部落征战，最终鹳部落获胜的故事。画面右侧立着的石斧，可能寓意鹳部落首领的军事权威。鹳鱼石斧图被认为是迄今所见中国最早的叙事性绘画。Museum information card, Nov 2025 ↩︎
- 鹳鱼题材在黄河流域（陕西泉护、山东大汶口等地）广泛分布，实证新石器时代跨流域文化交流。象征军事权威的石斧，与良渚玉钺、商周青铜钺等构成新石器时代至商国时期王权仪仗的演化脉络，实证中华文明连续发展的特性。Museum information card, Nov 2025 ↩︎
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