Bullroarer Item Number: Nh156 from the MOA: University of British Columbia
Description
Thin, flat, wooden rectangle painted with bright colours. One end is rounded with a small hole in the centre of the pointed end. Yellow, blue, black and dark red vertical and diagonal lines and geometric shapes are painted on one side. A broken white line goes along the dark red diagonal lines near the rounded end, down the centre and along 2 sides of the rectangle. On the other side there is a dark red background with vertical, diagonal black lines and circles. A quarter of a blue circle is in yellow, outlined in black.
History Of Use
Used to call rain. Given to boys at the end of the sacred season by kachinas.
Cultural Context
ceremonial
Iconographic Meaning
Semicircles represent clouds, zigzags represent lightning and vertical lines stand for rain. North, south, east and west are represented by yellow, red, white and blue.
Item History
- Made in Arizona, USA
- Owned by Bruce Russell before January 16, 1980
- Received from Bruce Russell (Donor) on January 16, 1980
What
- Name
- Bullroarer
- Identification Number
- Nh156
- Type of Item
- bullroarer
- Material
- root
- Manufacturing Technique
- carved and painted
- Overall
- height 14.0 cm, width 5.0 cm, depth 0.4 cm
Who
- Culture
- Hopi
- Previous Owner
- Bruce Russell
- Received from
- Bruce Russell (Donor)
Where
- Holding Institution
- MOA: University of British Columbia
- Made in
- Arizona, USA
When
- Ownership Date
- before January 16, 1980
- Acquisition Date
- on January 16, 1980
Other
- Condition
- good
- Accession Number
- 0584/0008