It's a general consensus that abstract painting is a style commonly considered  as Western, first practiced by twentieth-century artists such as Pablo Picasso and Marcel Duchamp, also antithetical to the spirit of Chinese art as it's possible to get. So what to make of a claim that the medium was first adopted by Chinese ancestors some 4,000 years ago?

That is exactly the discovery touted by Wang Zhi'an, an aficionado of Majiayao painted pottery, who has devoted himself to collecting and studying the ancient objects for more than three decades.

Growing up a village boy, living not far from the Majiayao relics in Lintao County, Gansu Province, at the upper stream of the Yellow River, Wang, now in his sixties, has become one of the country's foremost experts in the field.

"You have no idea how interesting it is," Wang said, in front of several objects from his large collection. "Studying this pottery, even the subtle difference of the lines and colors of the designs on them, is to me like a long and vivid journey back to ancient China.

"It always fills me with a kind of awe toward our ancestors," Wang said. "The more things I dig out, the more innocent I find myself."

Wang illustrated his new theory on the abstract nature of many of these designs point by observing some frog portraitures.

"The four legs of the frogs are over-emphasized, and the other body parts almost neglected," he said, pointing at several designs.

"This is the essence of abstract art. Everyone can tell these are frogs, but clearly, they are not mere imitations of the real creature," he said, smiling.

"How wise our ancestors were."

Painted pottery is representative of Majiayao Culture (3,100-2,700 BC), which belongs to the Neolithic Period (9,500 BC onwards) and is a part of Chinese ancient civilization who lived primarily in the upper Yellow River regions of Gansu and Qinghai.

Frogs were a common subject for their pottery as the Majiayao people considered them divine creatures, helping them resist the floods of the Yellow River with their four legs.

"I think that's why all the frogs are abstracted to just four legs stretching," Wang theorized.

Wang was fascinated by Majiayao painted pottery since his early thirties, when he once wrote to Chinese cartoon master Ye Qianyu, offering to send him a piece of painted pottery as a gift, after hearing Ye was to be released from prison after the Cultural Revolution (1966-76).

But the piece, which was sent by one of his village friends, was broken due to carelessness, and he tried to find another exactly the same. This extremely difficult hunt started his quest collecting Majiayao painted pottery, which has lasted over three decades.

Wang opened a non-profit museum in Lintao in 2004, which displays all his collection over the last 30 years, amounting to around 1,000 pieces of Majiayao painted pottery.

The exhibits include pottery from almost all periods of Majiayao culture, providing visitors a chance to imagine the lives of Chinese ancestors from some 3,000 to 4,000 years ago.

Wang also founded the Lintao Majiayao Culture Research Institute in 1996, with several friends particularly interested in studying Majiayao culture.

Although not organized by any local government, the institute has carved out a reputation for itself in the painted-pottery world, and as president, Wang is frequently invited to give speeches in and outside China.

"There are many people curious about our ancient civilizations," Wang said, mentioning that he is currently preparing for a journey to Japan during the Spring Festival.

"No time to relax with my family during the New Year! I'll be pleased to tell Japanese people and experts a little bit about our ancient culture," he said, pride etched on his face.

Although many ancient Chinese arts and cultures have started to receive high attention from the government, research on Majiayao painted pottery is still far from enough, according to Wang.

But unlike other small-scale museum owners, who are desperately in need of government support, Wang says he'd rather "do things on his own," with money from his interior decoration and advertising companies bankrolling his project. He says he will remain digging up the past, as long as his energy permits.