Item Details
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3070917
rattle
CD2005-0572
D2005-12629

Artifact NumberVII-B-28
Current Cultural AffiliationsHaida
All AffiliationsHaida (culture)
Northwest Coast (culture)
Category06: tools and equipment for communication
08: communication artifacts
Sub-categoryF120: sound communication tools and equipment
H060: ceremonial artifact
Place of OriginCountry - Canada, Province - British Columbia
MeasurementsLength 33.0 cm, Width 11.4 cm
CaptionRaven rattle
Additional InformationThese rattles are mainly used during ceremonies when titles are transmitted to chosen heirs; they symbolize the continuity of the ancestral powers. Although some details may be from the actual raven crest - which often forms the main part of the rattle design - it is not from a crest but is a representation of the mythical bird that gave the first rattle to mankind. In use, these rattles are always inverted. The explanation for this varied from tribe to tribe: among the Tsimshian, for example, it is thought that if the rattle were held with the bird in an upright position the power it possessed would fly away. The rattles are hollowed from wood and contain small stones. Excerpt from exhibition text: The Children of the Raven, 1975 to 1986.
Multimedia
3070918
CD2005-0572
D2005-12630

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