A file photo shows a painted ceramic plate featuring the image of a loong discovered in 1980 at the Taosi site in Xiangfen, Shanxi Province. /IC
Since ancient times, the loong, or Chinese dragon, has been considered an auspicious symbol, representing the master of wind and rain in Chinese culture. In archaeological artifacts, there are also many elements and patterns featuring the "loong."
The earliest depiction of the loong on a work of ceramics was found on a painted ceramic plate discovered in 1980 at the Taosi site in Xiangfen, north China's Shanxi Province. This site is associated with the Longshan Culture (2500-1900 BC) which is known for its meticulously polished black pottery.
The ceramic plate stands at 9 cm high, with a diameter of 40.7 cm, and a base measuring 15 cm. The outer surface of the plate is decorated with rope patterns, while the inner surface features polished black ceramic. The upper rim of the interior is painted in vermilion and depicts a coiled loong pattern featuring a serpentine body, a compact and round head, prominent scales, and a tongue resembling a rice ear.
A file photo shows a painted ceramic plate featuring the image of a loong discovered in 1980 at the Taosi site in Xiangfen, Shanxi Province. /IC
The quality of the coiled loong-patterned pottery plate is relatively refined, suggesting that it may have been a special burial object indicating high status. The loong pattern also seems to convey special meaning, rather than just being decorative. Some scholars have speculated that it may be a symbol of a clan or tribe, similar to the clan emblems found on later Shang (1600-1046 BC) and Zhou (1046-771 BC) bronze vessels.
After many years of large-scale excavations, the Taosi site where the plate was unearthed has yielded an extremely rich seam of cultural relics in the form of bronze artifacts and ceramic ritual vessels, as well as uncovering ancient infrastructure in the form of urban sites, palaces and observatories.
This Neolithic painted plate featuring the image of loong is typical of painted ceramics from the Hongshan Culture. In 2013, China's National Cultural Heritage Administration included it in the "List of Chinese cultural relics forbidden to be exhibited abroad," and it is currently housed in the Institute of Archaeology of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.