Lot 133A
Pacific Northwestern Native American (USA and Canada), Haida peoples, ca. early 20th century CE. One of my all-time favorites! An amazing carved wood rattle in the form of a raven. Below the wings, the body has been cut in half, hollowed, and filled with pebbles. Tiny holes drilled at the corners of each half allow the two pieces to be tied together, as they are now, with string. Comes with custom stand. Size: 12" L x 4.05" W x 5.5" H (30.5 cm x 10.3 cm x 14 cm); height on stand: 8" (20.3 cm)
The handle/tail is a projecting, slowly widening cone, polished but uncarved and unpainted, giving it a clean look. The artist has carved the wings as a flat, roughly trapezoidal shape with gently pointed tips and a motif of an eye in the center of the wing. The body of the bird also has eye motifs on either side. The head has a long, slender beak, slightly open and tilted upward, and a large eye surrounded on three sides by a rounded border. A wide groove runs from the top of the head down to the wings. The eyes are always painted black, surrounded by blue, with an outside black border; red decorations the top of the beak and the wing. The form is incredibly elegant.
The ceremonial costume of chiefs in Northwest Coast indigenous cultures included a raven rattle as a major component. They are designed to be held with the beak pointing down when used in dance, and are considered powerful items, capable of channeling a shaman's spirit guide.
See other examples of raven rattles at the RISD Museum (44.359) and the Metropolitan Museum of Art (89.4.611).
Provenance: private Orange County, California, USA collection acquired before 2000
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#121876
- Condition: Rattle functional. Slight fading to pigment. Wood has nice patina.
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