Ghana, Togo, and Volta Region
Ewe

Gourd, string, seeds
Late 20th Century
Length: 14 in (end to end wrapped); Gourd diameter: 5.75 in; Width: 7.5 in
Idiophone – Struck Indirectly – Shaken -Rattle

This gourd/calabash rattle originated from the Ewe people of Ghana, Togo, and the Volta Region. Today it is found elsewhere in West and Central Africa and under various names, including ‘jabara’ (Mali & Guinea); ‘shegbureh’ (Sierra Leone); ‘ichaka’ (Igbo of Nigeria);   ushàkà, chequere and saa saa (Liberia).  It consist of a dried gourd, wrapped with a loose beaded/seed net.  Closely related to the Ewe ‘axatse’ is the Nigerian ‘shekere.’  The axatse is traditionally a smaller instrument held by the neck, with a hole in the bottom of the gourd/calabash. The shekere usually has a hole on the top of the gourd, near the stem. These holes allow the removal of the pulp and seeds, so the gourd can dry inside and not rot.