Skip to main content
Advanced Search
Collection of the Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami
Rattle
Collection of the Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami
© Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami. All rights reserved.

Rattle

Artist/Maker (Costa Rica)
Dateca. 1-800
Mediumpottery
DimensionsOverall: 3 1/4 x 1 1/4 in. (8.3 x 3.2 cm)
ClassificationsMusical Instruments
Credit LineCollection of the Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami
Terms
    Object number85.0004
    On View
    Not on view
    Collections
    DescriptionMusic and song were remarkably important in the ritual and daily lives of ancient Mesoamericans. Painted vessels show that small musical instruments like rattles and gourds were used in nearly all ceremonies, and their ubiquitous presence suggests that such items were relatively common within the population. Rattles shaped like gourds or squashes may have been ritual items used in ceremonies related to agriculture or fertility. With its simple style and lack of decoration, this particular piece may have been a child’s toy or a commoner’s version of a ritual instrument. Squashes were one of the first domesticates of Mesoamerica and provided a rich source of reliable calories for millennia.
    Collection of the Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami
    Gourd Rattle
    Fante people
    collected between 1960-1973
    Collection of the Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami
    Figure
    Classic Veracruz
    ca. 600-800
    Collection of the Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami
    Necklace
    Artist Unknown
    ca. 300-800
    Collection of the Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami
    Incense Burner
    Maya (archaeological culture)
    ca. 600-900
    Collection of the Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami
    Chicomecoatl, The Maize Goddess
    Aztec
    ca. 1350-1521
    Collection of the Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami
    Portrait of a Man of the Sandwich Islands in a Mask and Representation of a Man of the Sandwich Islands Dancing
    Royce
    1784-1786
    Collection of the Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami
    Hieroglyphic Panel Fragment
    Maya (archaeological culture)
    ca. 700-800
    Collection of the Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami
    Tripod Bowl
    Maya (archaeological culture)
    ca. 650-750
    Collection of the Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami
    Medicine Jar
    Central Highlands/Atlantic Watershed
    ca. 1000-1550
    Collection of the Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami
    Whistle
    Maya (archaeological culture)
    ca. 600-900
    Collection of the Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami
    Tripod Jar
    Central Highlands/Atlantic Watershed
    ca. 400-700
    Collection of the Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami
    Seal
    Artist Unknown
    19th century
    eMuseum
    Copyright © eMuseum