Pre-Columbian, Valley of Mexico, Teotihuacan, ca. 150 to 650 CE. A carved black stone zoomorphic rasp with incised striations and details to head, its body suggesting a serpent form with a blunt snout and spiral-like eyes. Music was a major part of ritual life, and the rasp, later called the "omichicahusatli" by the Aztecs, has been found in several archaeological contexts in Teotihuacan and around it. The instrument was usually played by resting it on a resonator made of a squash or a bone and strumming over the notches with some kind of stick. Size: 0.9" W x 5.35" H (2.3 cm x 13.6 cm); 6.2" H (15.7 cm) on included custom stand.

Provenance: private New York, New York, USA collection; ex-private New York, USA doctors' collection

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#136809

The tip of the tail is lost, and there are a few small chips from the lower body of the rasp. Scratching and wear on surface commensurate with age, as well as some light deposits on the lower profile areas.