Mochica Copper Rattles

Room 9, Vitrine 108

Metal
Peruvian Northern Coast
Florescent Epoch (1 AD – 800 AD)
ML100687- ML100689, ML101567-ML101571

Musical instruments are represented in great detail in Mochica art. They mostly appear in combat rituals and dances in the world of the dead. In these dance scenes large rattles were used which would have produced deep, dull notes, thereby creating a sense of drama.

Rattles like these have been found in the tombs of individuals who participated in preparatory combat rituals. Originally, they would have had the reddish hue of copper, a color associated with ritual combat and sacrifices.

These musical instruments represent animals such as octopuses, anemones and the faces of owls and other mythological beings.