Object Name: Rattle (musambu)
Place of Origin: Angola
Cultural Group: Chokwe peoples
Materials Used: Wood, cane, seedpod
Dimensions: H: 30 cm, D: 8 cm (H: 11.8 in, D: 3.1 in)
Credit line and Accession Number: Fowler Museum at UCLA. Gift of Helen and Dr. Robert Kuhn. X86.1902

Double-chambered basketry rattles are part of an ensemble used by a Chokwe diviner to diagnose a client’s problems. The rattle is used to invoke the diviner’s tutelary ancestor.

Source: DjeDje, J. C. (1999). “Turn Up the Volume! A Celebration of African Music”, Los Angeles: UCLA Fowler Museum of Cultural History. page 261