Marble
University of Notre Dame
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Rattle in the Form of an Usékar

Date

300-500

Creator

Unrecorded Costa Rican artist

Unrecorded artist

Location

Raclin Murphy Museum of Art

Identifiable by the conical hat, this is a representation of an usékar, one of the most commonly depicted class of ritual specialists. These powerful individuals were believed to have descended from jaguars and possess magical abilities. According to creation myths, the creator god, Sibö, sent the usékars to protect people from animals and other threats. By entering a trance-like state, ritual specialists could transform into their jaguar forms in order to commune with ancestors and spirits. This figure is also a rattle. Music, and particularly rattles, played an important role in many of the rituals performed.

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Identifiable by the conical hat, this is a representation of an usékar, one of the most commonly depicted class of ritual specialists. These powerful individuals were believed to have descended from jaguars and possess magical abilities. According to creation myths, the creator god, Sibö, sent the usékars to protect people from animals and other threats. By entering a trance-like state, ritual specialists could transform into their jaguar forms in order to commune with ancestors and spirits. This figure is also a rattle. Music, and particularly rattles, played an important role in many of the rituals performed.
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Formerly attributed to Unrecorded Costa Rican artistUnrecorded artist
300-500
Figurines
Slipped and incised ceramic
1999.069.002
Raclin Murphy Museum: 205A
6 1/8 x 3 x 2 1/4 in. (15.52 x 7.77 x 5.72 cm)
Gift of Peter David Joralemon

Our collection information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. If you have spotted an error, please contact Raclin Murphy Museum of Art at RMMACollections@nd.edu.