Rattle

Item number Sf749 from the MOA: University of British Columbia.

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Data
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Description

Thin sheet metal in the shape of a bivalve, hinged with a fold. Convex surfaces have many raised bumps. Small holes for suspension pass through both sides of the hinge. There are faint textile impressions on one side.

History Of Use

The shell-shaped rattle is probably a part of a collar-like neckpiece, similar to ones found at Loma Negra. These metalwork rattles have the shapes of human and owl heads (Schaffer, p.c.). It is possible that similar adornments continued to be made by the subsequent Lambayeque and Chimu cultures.

Iconographic Meaning

The rattles appear to have the form of a bivalve shell, possibly spondylus, as the raised bumps on the surface resemble this shell. Spondylus is found in Ecuadorian waters and was a valued trade item in Peru over many centuries.