Spirit Dance Staff Item Number: A6899 from the MOA: University of British Columbia
Description
Deer hooves secured to top by twine and shoelace, handgrip in blue and white painted woven canvas, with red painted twine, deer hoof rattles, lattice work hand-grip.
History Of Use
Alternately referred to as a dance rattle, or dance baton. Elmendorf notes that amongst the southern Coast Salish: "this type of rattle consisted of several deer hoofs strung together, bunched. Several of these might be attached to a pole or held in the hand and shaken. Deer-hoof bunches were never attached to drums or other rattles. The deer-hoof rattle was especially used at spirit dances, principally in dancing the types of powers called qwa'xq for which deer-hoof bunches were attached to poles (1960:223)."
Cultural Context
ceremonial; spirit dance
Narrative
Nichols said he purchased this staff on the Esquimalt Reserve.
Item History
- Made in Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada before 1950
- Collected in Esquimalt, British Columbia, Canada
- Owned by Robert H. Nichols before June 17, 1958
- Received from Leon & Thea Koerner Foundation (Funding source) and Robert H. Nichols (Seller) on June 17, 1958
What
- Name
- Spirit Dance Staff
- Identification Number
- A6899
- Type of Item
- staff
- Material
- paint, cotton fibre ?, leather skin, fibre, deer hoof and wood
- Manufacturing Technique
- carved, tied and painted
- Overall
- height 46.0 in
Who
- Culture
- Coast Salish: Songhees ?
- Previous Owner
- Robert H. Nichols
- Received from
- Leon & Thea Koerner Foundation (Funding source) and Robert H. Nichols (Seller)
Where
- Holding Institution
- MOA: University of British Columbia
- Made in
- Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada
- Collected in
- Esquimalt, British Columbia, Canada
When
- Creation Date
- before 1950
- Ownership Date
- before June 17, 1958
- Acquisition Date
- on June 17, 1958
Other
- Accession Number
- 2075/0001