Details

Object type

dance rattle; ho'uri

Culture/School

Karaja

Place Associated

South America, Brazil, Goias (place associated)

Date

mid 20th century

Materials

gourd, wood, cotton, feathers, cane

Dimensions

overall: 490 mm x 140 mm x 165 mm 184.5 g

Description

Shaman's rattle or ho'uri. Rattle with round gourd body, pierced at front with three slits resembling human face, 3 longitudinal slits at back. Wooden handle pierce longitudinally through gourd attached at either end with brown cotton binding. 3 lengths of cane attached with cotton binding to protruding handle at top of gourd, decorated with tiny yellow and red feathers and long tassels of orange, green, yellow, red, cream, and brown striped feathers. Attached label reads 'Macaw feathers, red saddle back, parrot and gavio oiparia (osprey)'. Traditionally amongst the Karaja people, rattles or maraca are used in masked dances in the annual Aruana feast or when a shaman is treating a sick person. A maraca has eyes and a mouth represented by holes. The shaman blows smoke into a hole in the back of the maraca. The mouth of the maraca absorbs the illness which will pass into the shaman's mouth. Translated from 'Arte do Indio Brasileiro', 1966.

ID Number

A.1974.9.aq

Location

In storage