Object Assessment of Nsak Efik Ekpe Basket Rattles: K.0022
Name: Basket or Dance Rattles
Indigenous name: Nsak
Role: musical instruments
Accession number: K.0022
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Figure 1
Image of the basket rattles, Elena Hancock,
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Object labels (from West Africa, Calabar, Nigeria, Efik)
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Ethnographic collection catalogue
Composed of three components:
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Body
·
Filling
Dimension and Weight:
1. Length of
the whole rattle: 19.5cm
Length of the handle: 10.5cm
Diameter of the basket body: 34cm
Diameter of the base: 8.5cm
Weight: 88.61g
2. Length of
the whole rattle: 20.3cm
Length of the handle: 11cm
Diameter of the basket body: 37cm
Diameter of the base: 9cm
Weight: 79.39g
3. Length of filling piece: 0.3cm
Diameter of filling piece: 0.2cm
Weight: 0.06g
Current location: MCR room in the Anthropology Department at
University College London, housed as part of the Ethnographic Collection,
curated by Delphine Mercier.
Gifted c. 1957 by Eyo Bassey Ndem,
the basket rattles were displayed 'In the
filed - Anthropologists and their fieldwork' exhibition in the Anthropology
foyer between June and December 2016.
Date of Acquisition: c.1957
Materials and manufacture: The basket rattles are made of
organic material local to the tropical monsoon climate of Calabar, described as
a delta of swamp and forest.
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Figure 2
Image of the two nsak
Efik Ekpe basket rattles bases,
believed to be made out of organic material of Lagenaria
Siceraria gourds, Elena Hancock,
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Figure 3
Image of the nsak Efik Ekpe basket rattle fillings
fragments, it is believed that they are organic materials of Sorghum
bicolor grains, Elena Hancock,
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Base: Lagenaria siceraria, or bottle gourd forms a
disc, a centimetre thick.
Filling: composed of Sorghum Bicolor, a grain which originates from Africa is
placed inside the basketry body.
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Figure 10
Sketch of
the nsak Efik Ekpe basket rattles,
created by Elena Hancock, 2019
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The nsak Efik Ekpe rattles maintain a prominent cultural importance in
Nigeria. Their use as part of the percussion section in music played for the
dances in the Ekpe society’s rituals
for key events in their community represents a cultural identity and cohesion.
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Figure 5
Image of the nsak (Efik) basket shakers sourced from Lo-Bamijoko, J., N., (1987), Classification of Igbo musical instruments, African Music, Vol 6., No. 4., International Library of African Music, p. 33, although there are two rattles can be single or doubled together.
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Figure 6
‘Musical instruments used
for Ekpe masquerade music', sourced from Akpabot,
S. E., 1975, Ibibio Music in Nigerian Culture, Michigan State University Press
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Percussion is essential to Efik Ekpe masquerade performances induces a heightened emotional state and summons the presence of the Efik Ekpe leopard guardian spirit. Five percussion instruments are used in Ekpe performances: a short, ‘male drum’, a long ‘female’ drum, a small drum, a metal gong and a rattle (nsak).
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Figure 7
A diagram of a condition
analysis of the nsak Efik Ekpe basket rattle handles, Elena Hancock,
2019
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Figure 8
A close-up image of the
filling coming out of the gap in the fibres, taken with a DinoLiteCapture 2.0,
Elena Hancock, 2019
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The overall condition
of the two nsak Efik Ekpe rattles is reasonably fair but with some signs
of wear. The materials appear stable, but it is likely that physical force in
previous handling has damaged the otherwise complete artefacts.
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Figure 9
An image indicating correct
holding of the nsak Efik Ekpe basket
rattles, Elena Hancock, 2019
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