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1938.34.539

Leg rattles of dried moth cocoons strung between two cords. [JID 24/1/2020]

1938.34.539

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Collection type
Object
Description
Leg rattles of dried moth cocoons strung between two cords. [JID 24/1/2020]
Cultural groups
Tswana
Chwana
Khoe-San
Person
Field collector Henry Balfour
PRM source Henry Balfour
Date / Period
Date made: Before 1939
Date collected
By 1939
Acquisition information
Bequeathed: 1939
Materials and processes
Material Insect Cocoon, Material String, Material Stone, Process Perforated
Dimensions
Length: max 1537 mm
Object numbers
Accession number: 1938.34.539
Research and responses

Leg rattles are common across Southern and Eastern Africa and have a different name depending on the region (Maghavu, Mathowa, Amahlwayi, Matlhoa and many more). The rattles are tied around dancer’s lower legs as percussion instruments played during ceremonies such as weddings or for entertainment purposes. The rhythms produced by the leg rattles emphasise the leg movements of the dancers, and more complex improvised rhythms that vary and cross over from the basic rhythms of a dance can be heard during improvisations by virtuoso dancers.

Traditionally, leg rattles are made from seed-filled gourd fruits such as the Strychnos Spinosa, colloquially known as the spiny monkey orange (known as matamba in Zimbabwe, mateme in Malawi, massala in Mozambique and many other names across southern and Eastern Africa). They can also be made of dried insect cocoons (caterpillar and moth cocoons being the most common) or palm fronds that are filled with pebbles and threaded together using rope or bark fibre. The materials used to make leg rattles vary by region, and traditional materials may be swapped out for contemporary materials if they are more readily available.

Sources:

Professor Robert Nyamushosho (interview)

Jones, C. (1992). Making Music, Musical Instruments in Zimbabwe Past and Present, Academic Books Zimbabwe, p. 78

Associated publications
Kirby, Musical Instruments of the Native Races of South Africa, PP2-7, PLS.I,II.

Search terms: Music, Dance, Musical Instrument, Rattle