Transformations

Raven Rattle Raven Rattle
Haida?, mid 1800s

Raven rattles conventionally depict a complex scene in which a human reclines on the back of a raven while his tongue connects with the tongue of a frog. Meanwhile, a second bird's head, formed from the raven's tale, holds the frog. High-ranking men carried these rattles with the scene inverted as they danced ceremoniously.

Maple? (Acer sp.), mineral and commercial paints, sinew, pebbles?; 3178-2