Raven Rattle
1850–1900
- Medium
- wood, pigment
- Dimensions
- Overall: 31.8 x 9.3 x 11.2 cm (12 1/2 x 3 11/16 x 4 7/16 in.)
- Genre
- wood
- Museum
- Cleveland Museum of Art
Styles
Tags
Native North America, Northwest Coast, British Columbia and Alaska, Haida
About
Rattles featuring ravens with figures on their backs may depict the acts of shamans, whose exceptional abilities allow them to interact with other-than-human beings to control weather, heal illness, or locate animals for the hunt. Such rattles may have started with shamans but secular chiefs often use them during winter ceremonies, implying they are symbols of power.