War Rattle

Item number E13117-0 from the National Museum of Natural History.

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Notes

FROM CARD: "SIXTEEN LARGE PECTEN SHELLS ARE PERFORATED NEAR THE HINGE AND STRUNG ON A HOOP OF SPRUCE ROOT; AT THE HANDLE IS A BUNDLE OF FEATHERS LIKE THOSE FROM A TURKEY, AND STRIPS OF RED AND BLUE FLANNEL WOUND WITH THREE BANDS OF RED. ILLUS. IN PROCEEDINGS, USNM, VOL. 60, ART. 9; PL. 38, NO. 7; P. 48. LOANED TO RENWICK 9/3/81. RETURNED 1983. ILLUS.: P. 80, PL. 64, CELEBRATIONS CATALOGUE, SMITHSONIAN PRESS, 1982. SHELL RATTLE, CA. 1850-73. CLALLAM COAST SALISH INDIANS; PORT TOWNSEND, WASHINGTON. SPRUCE-ROOT HOOP, RED AND BLUE FLANNEL, STRING,FEATHERS, SCALLOP SHELLS. SCALLOP-SHELL RATTLES LIKE THIS ONE WERE PART OF THE CEREMONIAL REGALIA OF THE SAIHWE DANCERS, A RELIGIOUS SOCIETY AMONG SOME OF THE COAST SALISH PEOPLES OF THE SOUTHERN COAST OF BRITISH COLUMBIA. THE SAIHWE PERFORMED DURING CEREMONIAL RITES OF PASSAGE AND WHENEVER AN INDIVIDUAL ASSUMED A NEW STATUS AND GUESTS RECEIVED GIFTS. SAIHWE DANCERS WERE FOUR IN NUMBER, EACH WEARING A BIRDLIKE MASK, A NECK SHIELD, ROWS OF SWAN FEATHERS, LEGGINGS OF SWANSDOWN SKIN, AND DEER-HOOF ANKLETS. A DANCER CARRIED A CEDAR BRANCH IN HIS LEFT HAND TO BALANCE THE SCALLOP-SHELL RATTLE HELD IN HIS RIGHT HAND. ILLUS. HANDBK. N. AMER. IND., VOL. 7, NORTHWEST COAST, FIG. 11 BOTTOM RIGHT, PG. 468."