Comb-Pattern Pottery

The comb-pattern vessel with a pointed bottom is a typical example of Neolithic-period-style earthenware that has been excavated from the midwestern regions of the Korean Peninsula. Typical comb-pattern vessels are characterized by a pointed bottom and a conical body that gradually widens toward the mouth. Their surfaces are decorated with a variety of geometric patterns incised in parallel slanting lines that resemble a pattern made by a comb. The way these vessels are decorated plays an important role in determining their dates. Initially, different designs were applied to the vessel’s mouth, body, and bottom. Later, the decoration was eventually confined to the vessel’s mouth area.