Shaman’s Rattle

Round or globular rattles were the property of shamans on the Northwest Coast, employed to appease the spirits in curing rituals. It is said that the globular rattle depicts the form of a skull, which refers to the shaman’s ability to pass between the living and the spirit worlds. Many globular rattles feature a sculptural face on one side, with the reverse carved in traditional formline design. This exceptional rattle represents a mythical thunderbird with its prominent re-curved beak. The reverse displays superbly executed formline elements indicating the hand of a master carver. The carving on the rattle is in a style that would date from the first half of the 19th century, indicated by the broad nature of the formlines that surround the carved-out areas of the design, along with the carver’s choices of imagery and compositional elements. The firm ovoids and downward-angled eyelid points suggest the hand of a master Haida carver.