Raven Rattle

Item number 87.88.74 from the Portland Art Museum.

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Description

Raven rattles were used throughout the Northwest Coast by people of high rank. The delicate and elaborate carving of these status objects displays the skills of the maker. The body of one of these rattles usually represents a raven, with the head of a hawk carved on its breast. A reclining figure, possibly a shaman, is carved on the back of the rattle. The figure's tongue is joined to the mouth of a bird or frog - in this example, a frog - possibly signifying a transfer of power from one to the other. This may indicate that it was traditionally a shaman's implement. The most common historical use of raven rattles, however, appears to have been as dance rattles carried by high-ranking individuals wearing frontlet headdresses.