This sherd comes from a section of a Majiayao earthenware vessel. It is painted with abstract motifs. About one-third of Majiayao vessels were decorated on the upper two-thirds of the body with a variety of designs in black pigment. Painted wares such as this was probably intended for ritual use.The Majiayao Culture, sometimes referred to as the Gansu Yangshao culture, was in existence for two thousand years in eastern Gansu and Qinghai provinces of China. Distinctive vessel forms of this culture are waisted jars, urns with an inverted mouth and pair of handles at the side, and deep stemmed trays with two handles.
