Thin, lustrous black pottery was made by Neolithic cultures of the Dawenkou and Longshan phases in the area of present-day Shandong province in northeastern China. A wide range of forms, styles and methods of decoration and several different colors of clay were utilized and are now found at Dawenkou sites. Vessels of the earlier periods were built up by hand and then finished on the wheel, while in later vessels the wheel was more often used throughout production, producing vessels with very thin walls

Similar cups with handles were included in the exhibition, Ancient Chinese Ceramics from the Neolithic Period to the Western Han, II, Uragami Sokyu-Do Co., Ltd., 1994, Catalogue, p. 49, nos. 69 and 70
Compare, also, the cup sold in these rooms, June 2, 1994, lot 226