Title: Unknown
Item Type: Rattle
Key Words: Rattle, grass, musical instrument, Bamileke, Cameroon
Description:
Woven grass rattle with a thick woven handle, string fortification at the base and a hollow, rounded head. The head of the rattle likely contains encased stones or seed that produces the musical sound.
Function: Musical instrument
Dimensions: 23cm x 8.5cm
Materials: Grass, string, likely stones or seeds
Production Methods and Techniques: Unknown
Condition: Good.
Provenance
Name of creator:
Unknown, but it could potentially be associated with the Bamileke people due to labels from the Anthropology Teaching Collection.
Where the item was created/made:
Unknown, but it could potentially be associated with the Cameroon grasslands region due to labels from the Anthropology Teaching Collection.
Date made: Unknown
Acquisition:
Unknown, but it was likely obtained by a PhD student of a member of staff at the University of Edinburgh during fieldwork and was then donated to the University of Edinburgh’s Social Anthropology Teaching Collection, where the Social Anthropology Department now has ownership. The nature of the acquisition is unknown.
Acquisition Date: Unknown, but likely pre-1980s.
Current Location: Chrystal Macmillan Building in storage.
General Notes
Sources:
Schrag, B.E. (2005) How Bamiléké music-makers create culture in Cameroon. PhD thesis. University of California.
Other Associations:
There is a potential link to object SA040 and SA044 in the collection, as they could be from the same region and used in similar dances and performances, but this needs further researching.
Name of Cataloguer: Astrid Everall
Date: 09/03/2025