Rattle

Title
Rattle
Year/Period
Qijia culture (c. 2250-1900 BCE)
Region
Gangsu-Qinghai provinces, China
Material
Dimension
Object size: H: 13.5,
x Dia: 12.6 (with handles) cm
Accession No.
1993-00203

This handmade pottery rattle is made in the form of a human head with a tapering protrusion at the top. The fine-grained earthenware was beaten into shape and was probably a toy or a musical instrument made to be a burial object.The Qijia culture of Gansu and Qinghai provinces is thought to be a continuation of Majiayao culture (c.3800-c.2000 BCE), although its origins are still debatable. The pottery of this period includes black, red and buff earthenware and consists mainly of unpainted wares such as this earthenware.