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.
