Northwest Coast Polychromed Wood Shaman's Rattle

of classic form, carved in two sections, with a slender handle of oval section divided into interlocking panels and bound with organic twine, a stylized totemic face, possibly a representation of a hawk, incised and carved in shallow relief on the underbelly, the upper section carved as a bird in flight, with a rectangular implement in its open, slightly curving beak, the outspread wings supporting a shaman figure in a reclining position, with the weight of his body supported by his elbows, his body thrust upward and head arched back and resting on carrier's ears, his long tongue projecting into the mouth of a frog held in the beak of a kingfisher bird, with backswept feather crest; decorated with formline details in shallow and sunk relief, and black, white and vermillion red pigments.

James Hooper Collection, London

S. Phelps, Art and Artefacts of the Pacific, Africa, and the Americas - The James Hooper Collection, 1976, p. 311, illustrated

For a discussion on the use of raven rattles see Wardwell, 1996, p. 239: "Raven rattles were made in large numbers, especially by the Tlingit. Most of them were used by wealthy families in secular ceremonies... Swanton claims that the use of "chief’s rattles" proclaimed the shaman’s high social rank to his public. It should also be remembered that raven taught both shamans and witches the secrets of their crafts, and it would therefore seem logical that shamans would employ a rattle depicting him during their performance."

For further information also see Vaughan and Holm, 1982, p. 124: "The best known rattle of the Northwest Coast is the "raven rattle." It is carved in the shape of that bird, with upraised tail forming another bird's head and with a reclining man on the back. Usually the man's tongue is protruding and held by the beak of the "tail-bird," or by a frog, which either sits on the man's chest or is itself bitten by the tail-bird. Recorded Indian traditions of the origin of the rattles do not shed light on it. Most scholars agree that the tongue held by frog or bird probably signifies a communication or transfer of power. This leads to the assumption that the raven rattle originated as a shaman's implement. In historic times, however, it has been a dancing rattle, used by a noble person performing with the frontlet headdress (see Nos. 51 and 53)."

And see Jonaitis, 1988, p. 74: "During their celebrations, the Northwest Coast Indians performed elaborate dances accompanied by percussive music. One of the most exquisite instruments…was a rattle collected from the Tsimshian. The body of this rattle represents Raven, a mischievous and powerful mythological being. Some conjecture that this bird is in the process of performing one of his most admirable arts: stealing the sun. It seems that prior to this event, a malevolent creature, unwilling to share the sun’s warmth and light with humankind, kept the celestial body hidden in a box. Raven tricked this selfish being into letting him into the box, and he quickly picked up the treasure with his beak and flew away. On the rattle, a small reddish object can be seen in the raven’s mouth: that is the sun which is about to be spit into the sky to illuminate the world. Carried by the elite feasts and rituals, these raven rattles were highly priced objects of considerable aesthetic merit to the Northwest Coast Indians."