Nigeria
Yoruba

Gourd, string, beads
Late 20th Century
Length: 13.5 in; Diameter: 12.5 in
Idiophone – Struck Indirectly – Shaken -Rattle

The shekere (the name comes from Yoruba Ṣẹ̀kẹ̀rẹ̀) is a West African rattle-like percussion instrument consisting of a dried gourd/calabash with beads or cowries woven into a net covering the gourd. Unlike the Ewe axatse which is smaller and has a hole drilled in the bottom of the gourd, The skekere is usually larger, and the hole is drilled in the handle at the top of the gourd or a portion of the handle is removed as seen here in this shekere. This is for the removal of the pulp and seeds, so that the gourd can dry inside and not rot.