Ficáw (rattle)
Unknown Artist
Gourd rattles having a loose mesh of beads, shells, or nuts produce sound by tossing, beating, whirling, and shaking the gourd. They add sound texture to layers of complex rhythms typical of sub-Saharan African music. Generically, they are called sekere, the Yoruba vernacular name of the instrument.
Credit: Gift of Herbert J. Harris, 1986
20th century
Gourd, nut, fiber
26.0 cm
1986.467.68
Image and text © Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2019
Where you'll find this
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Permanent collection
