Rattle Item Number: A2588 from the MOA: University of British Columbia
Description
Circular rattle formed of two bent concentric circles of wood holding four compartments containing the sound-making pebbles; a wooden rod is inset across the centre. Plain on one side and painted with red criss-crosses on the other, and with red and blue stripes around the outer ring.
History Of Use
Circular rattle used to accompany the halait dance (healer’s dance). Similar circular rattles are also represented in miniature on Haida carvings depicting shamans (spiritual healers) and may have once been a form common to the Nations of the northern Northwest Coast.
Cultural Context
ceremonial
Narrative
This rattle may be one of a pair, as it appears to be similar to a rattle (VII-C-1116) in the collection of the Canadian Museum of History, in Gatineau. A pair of circular rattles of this type was owned by Chief Simadiiks (Semedik), of Gitwangak. The artist W. Langdon Kihn painted a portrait titled "Chief Semedik, Eagle phratry" in 1924, in which the chief is shown holding a rattle that appears similar to MOA rattle A2588. One of the chief's rattles was collected by Marius Barbeau in 1924 for the Museum of Man; the other was purchased by Kihn, presumably around the same time. The rattle A2588 was acquired sometime before 1976 by Walter Koerner, and was classified as Haida, likely because such circular rattles, sometimes called shamans’ rattles, were also historically used by the Haida (e.g., Am1954,05.928 at the British Museum), along with other northern Northwest Coast peoples.
Item History
- Made in British Columbia, Canada before 1920
- Owned by Walter C. Koerner before April 8, 1976
- Received from Walter C. Koerner (Donor) on April 8, 1976
What
Who
- Culture
- Gitxsan ?
- Previous Owner
- Walter C. Koerner
- Received from
- Walter C. Koerner (Donor)
Where
- Holding Institution
- MOA: University of British Columbia
- Made in
- British Columbia, Canada
When
- Creation Date
- before 1920
- Ownership Date
- before April 8, 1976
- Acquisition Date
- on April 8, 1976
Other
- Condition
- fair
- Accession Number
- 0336/0048